Magician and Fool

Arcana Oracle Series, Book 1

By: Susan Wands

Narrated by: January Lavoy, Robert Petkoff

Pamela Colman Smith, newly arrived from New York to her birthplace of London, is received as an oddball in Victorian society. Her second sight helps her in her new job: illustrating tarot cards for the Golden Dawn, a newly formed occult group. But when Pamela refuses to share her creations with Aleister Crowley, a controversial magician, he issues a threat: give up the cards’ power, or he’ll harm her muses.

In the midst of this battle, two of Pamela’s idols, the actors Henry Irving and William Terriss, take her under their wing. Henry, who tutors her as the leader of the Lyceum Theatre, becomes the muse for her Magician card. William Terriss, teaching her by examples of instinct and courage, becomes the muse for her Fool card. As Pamela begins to create the tarot deck, she is almost overwhelmed by the race to possess the magical power of her cards.

In order to defeat Aleister, Henry and William will have to transform into living incarnations of the Magician and the Fool—and Pamela will have to learn how to conjure her own magic.

©2023 Susan Wands (P)2023 Susan Wands

Historical fantasy buffs will swoon!

This is an unusually fetching performance, one that required each actor to perform many different accents and characters, all of which are beautifully done. I myself had no idea about the history of tarot cards! It’s interesting to try to separate the history from the fantasy. The author has chosen a lively and colorful subject, which she obviously researched deeply. The characters are vivid, the story is engaging, and there is an abundance of fascinating arcana about the theater. Historical fantasy buffs will swoon!