The Tarot of Prague: A Tarot Deck Based on the Art and Architecture of the "Magic City"

Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Deck
Review: Sometimes I want a good, solid, readable tarot deck, with plenty of well-thought-out symbolism and a clear structure.
Sometimes I'm more in the mood for a deck with gorgeous, colourful artwork, a stunning sense of composition and an eye for detail, as well as a good dollop of whimsy and passion.
There are very few decks that fall into both categories, but the Tarot of Prague is certainly one of them.
Anyone familiar with the Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism should be able to use this deck right out of the box. For those who aren't, there is the excellent book, which is probably the best book-for-a-deck I know. It's extremely well written, serious and thorough but with a sense of humour, too. It gives extensive information about the artwork, the sources used, the history and mystery of Prague, as well as being an excellent guide to the tarot in general. It would even make a great travel guide to use while visiting Prague!
But, for the people who don't want to get the set and opt for the deck alone, the deck also comes with a very good, concise and clear 'little white book'. It doesn't give much history or background, but it would certainly be enough to get you reading the cards.

I love the artwork in these cards. It took the creators thousands of hours to make them, and they succeeded in achieving a perfect, consistent feel. I adore the colours, which are rich but not gaudy, as well as the way in which this deck showcases one of the most magical and enchanting cities on earth: Prague.
The deck is extremely readable, but it is also a pleasure to just hold and look at all the cards one by one, admiring the artwork. Someone once compared a good deck of tarot cards to an art gallery, with 78 works of art. That certainly applies to this one, which makes it the perfect deck to show off to my tarot-sceptical friend (of which I have all too many). Even if they are very dismissive of the whole idea of tarot, they cannot help but be bowled over by the gorgeous art.

Finally, the production of both the deck and the book is remarkable. The cards are of extremely good quality - firm but not too stiff, and definitely not flimsy. The coating is durable without feeling 'plasticy'. Even the box and the book are of excellent quality, with high-grade paper and great printing.
I would have expected the price of both the deck alone and the deck-book set to be about twice as high as they actually are - this is a high-quality tarot deck for an extremely good price.

I think beginning readers, as well as experienced readers and those who mostly buy tarot decks for collection purposes, will immensely enjoy the Tarot of Prague!

ps: reviewer streetspirit85 pointed out a little difficulty with the original box; personally, I loved the design, but I keep the deck with the box in a bag.
The second printing however, which is the one hitting the shops now, has a different box which keeps the cards a little safer.