This was so interesting to read. I am new to Tarot so this book gave me a great overview of thhe history and meaning of the cards!

The Tales Behind Tarot; Discover the stories within your tarot cards by Alison Davies was a fun tarot read. I cannot get enough of tarot books and this one was great! I was truly thankful to have gotten to read this before most people! I would like to purchase this one for my physical library!

What a great way to "learn" the meanings of the tarot major and minor arcana. Simply reading about the meanings and trying to remember them (or refer to a book) while doing a reading is super frustrating and slow going. But this book uses stories to explain the meanings, within the context of the Fool's Journey (major arcana) and a different story for each minor arcana suit. The happenings and characters in the stories help explain the meanings behind the cards, and make it so much easier to remember and understand.

This is a very interesting take on how to learn the meaning of the Tarot cards. Memorizing the meaning of the cards is the hardest task when it comes to learning how to read Tarot, and I picked this book up hoping it would help me with those tricky cards that I can never seem to remember. This method definitely helped, particularly by linking the cards together rin a single story rather than each having their own individual tale. It truly is taking a basic memorization technique and applying it to a very large number of cards. This book was not quite as helpful for me, who already had a basic understanding of a majority of the cards, but would be very helpful for a beginner. I would highly recommend this to those looking to pick up the cards for the first time.

I was not able to read this prior to it being archived but I was pleased from what I have seen so far since! This is such a great tool for anyone looking to dive deeper than superficial tarot meanings.

love this book! Not only is there the story of the Fools journey for the Major arcana but there is an different story for each suite and the stories are consecutively tied together from ace to king. Great for learning tarot.

This was such a fascinating and fun read! As someone who’s still learning all about tarot and trying to get the hang of all the cards and how they interact with each other this was a really fun and helpful book.

I love the way the author told the story of each card, it was really engaging and felt like I was reading an actual story with little snippets of how it all connects together thrown in. The art was also beautiful, It’s the classic deck which is always a joy to look at, but the colours and fonts and everything just made for a really nice reading experience.

I read this as an ebook and I do plan on purchasing a physical book if I can so that I can continue to browse and use this as a tool when I’m doing my readings.

Interesting concept, a different way to interpret the card with an example/story with themes. Add another layer to your learning if something like this helps.

"The Tales Behind Tarot" by Alison Davies is a fascinating exploration of the symbolism, history, and stories that make up the world of tarot cards. This book offers a comprehensive blend of knowledge, insight, and the intricate narratives that lie within the cards.

Davies' writing style is informative and engaging, guiding readers through the rich history and meanings behind each tarot card. The author's expertise shines as she delves into the origins of the cards and the significance of the imagery they contain.

At the core of the book is a captivating journey through the major and minor arcana, uncovering the layers of symbolism and interpretation that each card holds. The author skillfully connects the cards to mythology, history, and personal reflection, creating a well-rounded and enlightening resource.

"The Tales Behind Tarot" successfully balances educational content with a sense of wonder, allowing readers to deepen their understanding of the tarot while also appreciating the beauty of its narrative elements. The exploration of themes like symbolism, intuition, and self-discovery adds depth to the content.

In conclusion, "The Tales Behind Tarot" is an invaluable and enlightening book that offers a comprehensive guide to the stories and meanings behind each tarot card. Whether you're a seasoned tarot reader or a curious beginner, this book provides an engaging and insightful journey into the world of tarot symbolism and interpretation.

This book expertly shared the stories behind each of the tarot cards and their meanings/histories. I personally would have liked to see more explanation of those key meanings, in terms of supporting readings, but this book definitely achieved what it set out to do. Overall, an interesting read.

This was a NetGalley review.

This book is vital as most information out there is about how to read and interpret the cards and skips over this critical context to interacting with your cards.

A mixed bag. Not the best tarot book out there, but an interesting concept nonetheless. The Major Arcana should have been more engaging. I thought the author would use more creative liberty. I did pick up a few new insights and meanings from the stories. Overall, the book kind of serves as a dull reference that is trying to be a bit more spicy and unique. It's a bit hard to say on whether or not this works as a reference book. I've been reading tarot for a year now and I'm not sure I would have liked this when I started the craft. If anything, the meanings of the cards and the combined stories would have left me feeling more loss than before.
If you're a beginner or seasoned learner, you can give this ago. It might suit you better than it suited me. If you learned tarot mostly from YouTube videos and online forums, this might not be for you. If you learn better with books, then have at it!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Alison Davies is making tarot and astrology acessible.

The Tales Behing Tarot is one of the books I would recommend to everyone that is beginnig their cartomancy studies, because you will learn thought the storytelling of each card with such an easy and acessible metodology, it will be possible for you to learn the meanings and symbolism through their story with illustrations and more.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Tales Behind Tarot by Alison Davies is a captivating book that brings the stories and symbolism of each tarot card to life. Whether you are new to tarot reading or have been practicing for years, this book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of the cards.

Alison Davies takes readers on a journey through the tarot, introducing us to all 78 cards in the deck through short stories. Each card has its own unique story filled with rich symbolic meaning, making it easy for readers to grasp the essence of each card. The book also provides key words and themes to help readers understand the meanings of each card.

The stunning illustrations throughout this book enhance readers’ experiences while flipping through these pages. They are visually stimulating and provide additional context to enrich your understanding.

Overall, I found The Tales Behind Tarot by Alison Davies to be an insightful and engaging read that will benefit any tarot reader looking for new perspectives or anyone interested in learning more about tarot symbolism. It truly delivers knowledge which empowers individuals who want to decode and apply wisdom into their everyday lives. With its beautiful cover art, short but meaningful stories about each tarot card, and helpful insights provided along with them make this book perfect for beginners or those wishing to dive deeper into their practice alike.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

This book has some really in depth stories about the tarot cards. I really enjoyed reading them and the interesting tales behind them. It is one I will be dipping into again and again as I enjoyed it so much.

3.7 Stars
One Liner: For beginners and intermediary tarot readers

Tarot cards have myriad interpretations. It can be overwhelming for new readers to understand the meanings, interpretations, and symbolism of each of the 78 cards in the deck. This book explains the history/ story behind each card to help readers understand and connect better with the deck and the art.

My Thoughts:
The book is a little different from other works and presents the story behind the cards rather than the meanings. The symbolism and meanings are interwoven into the stories, and this makes things easier if you have an idea about how the cards look (Raider Waithe Smith deck).
There isn’t anything deep or intricate in this one. It works well for beginners and intermediary readers learning to connect the cards and tell a story (reading individual cards is easier, but combining them and seeing the patterns takes practice).
The Major Arcana has Fool’s journey, and the Minor Arcana have individual stories for each suit (cups, pentacles, swords, and wands). I like the Pentacles story the best, though the others are decent, too (nothing wow).
These are pretty much surface-level versions. You need to dig deeper to learn and look beyond the standard Christian/ Western interpretations, especially with cards like Hierophant. The book should work as one of the many stepping stones to familiarize oneself with tarot cards.

To summarize, The Tales Behind Tarot is a good book to gain some insights about tarot cards and understand how we can connect the cards to tell a story. The book doesn’t deal with reversals.
Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group –Leaping Hare, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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Links to Goodreads and Amazon reviews will be added later.

Thank you to Quarto Publishing and Netgalley for this eARC! This review is entirely my own.

This is a very interesting take on how to learn the meaning of the Tarot cards. Memorizing the meaning of the cards is the hardest task when it comes to learning how to read Tarot, and I picked this book up hoping it would help me with those tricky cards that I can never seem to remember. This method definitely helped, particularly by linking the cards together rin a single story rather than each having their own individual tale. It truly is taking a basic memorization technique and applying it to a very large number of cards. This book was not quite as helpful for me, who already had a basic understanding of a majority of the cards, but would be very helpful for a beginner. I would highly recommend this to those looking to pick up the cards for the first time.

This book is ideal for people who want a deeper connection to their tarot cards through stories and connections to the cards themselves. The watermarks on the pages in the main chapter section/heading made it hard to read, however, so that was a little annoying.

I've always loved tarot cards and I was really pleased to be able to read The tales behind Tarot, I wasn't sure what to expect but it was surprisingly interesting and Alison Davies has used a classic tarot deck and made a small story for each one by following the fool and his journey, it does make it easier to remember the key details of each card now. Also it is really nicely illustrated it would make a beautiful gift for any one interested in the telling of tarot.

I wasn’t able to read this before it was archived but I am interested in deepening my understanding of the meaning behind each tarot card