I really liked the sound of this book, tarot cards are something I enjoy using. But I couldn't get along with their style of "reading" the cards, I kept going back to the book to try and learn about a different way of using the cards. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me, but it was well-written in a friendly style.

For the first time I have read a book that makes reading the tarot completely accessible. Cownie and Lensvelt write in an open and easy and direct way explaining at the start what the tarot is and what it can and can't do for its readers and and querents.

There is a really logical presentation to the order of learning the cards. This is most definitely the place to start if you have any interest in this ancient reflective practice. I would like to thank Netgalley for an advanced reader copy and will definitely be purchasing the book in print form for future reference

Wild Card is an informative, engaging, and accessible guide to Tarot. Jen Cownie and Fiona Lensvelt explore the histories and meanings behind the seventy-eight cards in a down-to-earth manner that is welcoming to people picking up a Tarot deck for the first time.

I loved this book, it was so useful and interesting and a great help on my tarot journey. I read the whole thing through and really loved it and I am sure it will come as a great help in the future and will always refer back

I'd definitely recommend this as a first tarot book. It has a lovely tone; the authors seem very genuine and they skilfully do away with any notion that your future is somehow hard coded in the cards. What this book manages very successfully is to open up the idea that the cards are a way to enter into dialogue with your subconscious and to think about things from another perspective before jumping into a situation without fully thinking about it.
(Thanks to Net Galley for this Book).

I went in to this book knowing absolutely nothing about Tarot only that they have cool artwork. The gorgeous artwork on the cover is what grabbed my attention and made me curious to find out more about what Tarot actually entails.

This book tells you everything you need to know about Tarot. There are sections on all the cards telling you what each individual one means and how to read them along with beautiful illustrations of each card. There are also separate chapters for different types of readings you can learn to give.

The chapters are set out nice and easy to navigate, so if there’s something in particular you want to read up on then you can find it straight away.

The fact that this book is written by two authors gives a lovely and unique dialogue on the subject of Tarot. I feel it is so valuable to hear from two perspectives that are both so honest in their interpretations of the cards and it makes you feel like you are gently being guided through such a complex world.

As a complete novice I feel that this book is the perfect read to delve into the world of Tarot and for those with more experience it is the ideal handbook to refresh your mind on the many aspects involved in the art. I’m sure everyone who reads this will finish it full of knowledge and appreciation for such a misunderstood form of story telling.

Great book for a beginner. As someone who has used Tarot for decades it was still interesting to see how someone else explains it.

A good introduction book on Tarot cards. Ive never read anything on Tarot before so for me the level of detail was perfect, i would also recommend it as a holiday gift for any friends interested in card reading.

It's an excellent book if you want to learn about Tarot. I loved the chatty tone, it's very accessible.

It starts with a brief introduction, talking about what Tarot is and isn't. The second chapter answers some common questions about the Tarot. Notably, this chapter discusses reversals; neither author use reversed cards, instead using a card's position in a spread as a way of knowing how the card's energy is manifesting. This is the only mention of reversals in the book, there are no keywords or meanings with the cards.

This is followed by a brief discussion of the make up of a deck, the suits and majors and a (very) brief mention of the numerolgy of a deck. This is the first time I've seen it mentioned anywhere that for Cups and Pentacles, higher numbers are better, while for Swords and Wands it's the other way around; I'd sort of known that but not articulated it before, and this really made it make sense to me. The actual quote, which I've copied into my journal for reference, is If it's round, then go for your life, try to catch them all, etc. If it's pointy - approach with caution.

From there the book moves into the suits, in the order of Cups, Pentacles, Wands and Swords. Each chapter opens with a short discussion of that suit's overarching meanings, then goes through the cards one by one. Each card gets two or three pages, with keywords, an illustration of the card (from the RWS deck; the illustrations are black and white and not the best quality, but they're clear enough to read) a nice long description of possible meanings, and a few questions that may help you narrow down what the card is trying to tell you. Court cards are included in these chapters, but there's also a separate chapter after the Swords that talks about the Courts more specifically and gives some hints about how to read them. I've gone back to this chapter three or four times already, it's really useful!

The following chapter is Majors. It's interesting to read them in this direction, as most LWBs start with Majors and move into Minors, but the authors are right that it's easier to grasp the smaller moments represented by the Minors than it is the Majors. The layout is the same for the Majors and they get about the same amount of space.

The next chapter is about spreads. It does point out that you, the reader, are free to read in an unstructured manner, but a spread can make things easier. It gives a nice range of two and three card spreads, the ubiquitous Celtic Cross, and some advice on creating your own spreads as well.

Practical Magic, the next chapter, has some tips and tricks for getting started and for keeping your practise up. Finally, there are some popular decks, some suggestions for other books to read, and a table with keywords for each card for quick reference. There's also an index of some of the pop culture references made in the book; it's nice to see these acknowledged, but the list doesn't say where in the book they were referenced, so it's not always helpful - if I don't recognise the reference to The Never Ending Story, then knowing that there was a reference won't help me. It's lovely to see the range of mentions, though!

I love the chatty, friendly tone used throughout this book, and the down to earth advice. I'd love to have a reading or a chat with the authors sometime! I think it'd be really fun. This is a great book; this and an RWS deck or clone deck would make a fantastic gift for someone interested in starting with tarot, or the book on its own would be a gift for someone who's started but not yet confident. (The authors support owning as many decks as you like, by the way, and buying your own {while also accepting gifts, because fun!}) I'm definitely keeping this book near at hand for reference. I'm very happy with it.

I love this introduction to tarot - it's an indispensable and practical guide to understanding the stories and archetypes contained in each of the cards and beautifully weaves in relevant quotations from writers ranging from Sarah Moss to Malcolm Gladwell. It's a book which will appeal to tarot novices and more experienced readers alike - a perfect present for anyone interested in learning more about themselves through tarot.

Wild Card is one of the most accessible tarot books I have read. It explains how to read tarot cards in a straightforward and engaging way. It’s perfect for people who see the tarot as an ideal way to help them understand themselves. If you have found other tarot books rather dry you will enjoy Wild Card.

This is a good introduction to each tarot card, with an insightful description of each and useful 'at a glance' pages. It also has a really useful list of resources and references that led me to some interesting explorations. The tips about readings were useful and practical.

This is an excellent book for those new to the tarot. It goes through each card one by one, offering interpretations and questions to ask yourself to help unravel the meanings of each card. It is very detailed and written in easy to read language - it is not heavy or dry like some tarot books, nor is it heavy on mysticism and esoteric details. This makes it a very accessible and enjoyable book. It is a modern take on the tarot and I think that more experienced tarot readers could find something new in this book.

You are encouraged to have a go at reading the tarot in a really friendly way; it doesn’t bombard you with rules or scare you into thinking you might do it wrong. Instead, this book makes the tarot accessible by giving gentle encouragement and clear guidance. It also gives advice about reading for others and how to cope if you get stuck during a reading. This is highly recommended for all users of the tarot and is definitely a book to buy in hard copy so it can be used for reference.

With thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for providing an advance review copy. All options here are my own.

I fell in love with the gorgeous cover and appreciated this well written introduction to Tarots. It's an excellent reference guide or the perfect book if you want to learn about this complex system of symbols.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A really good reference book for the tarot.
The information in this book is super easy to understand, and is laid out in a simple structure that helps when referencing specific cards.
Nothing particularly original - but just a great, simple, straight to the point guide.

A breath of fresh air in tarot books! This book is very readable and lays out the mystery of the tarot in an easy guide to get you started, without too much mystical theory to muddy the guide. It is straight forward, debunks some of the myths surrounding tarot and takes the fear out of taking the plunge and learning how to read these cards. I loved the authors style of writing, and they very much focus on questions to ask yourself when trying to find meanings in the cards during a reading, with simple ways of learning each card and reminding the reader that the cards are similar to regular playing cards with suits and numbers. I found it so helpful that I have preordered my own physical copy so that I can study at my leisure ( I find reference books easier to use in printed form).

This is a wonderful introduction to tarot for the beginner and the perfect refresher for anyone familiar with tarot. With a modern take on meaning, down-to-earth language, and cultural references and quotations that offer further illumination, all served with a sprinkle of humour, this is a lot of fun to read. Tarot is simply a storytelling device, one that helps us divine what we really think and feel, and which brings meaning to our lives. Nothing spooky or doomy here.

As someone who has worked with tarot for a few years, I enjoyed the approach of going through the basics like the overall symbolism of numbers and suits. It can be easy to get caught up in bigger meanings so it was nice to have a reminder of the fundamentals with key words for each card. I did a basic draw and flicked through the book to interpret the cards, and it drew my attention to a few points I wouldn't have considered that are relevant to me right now.

I'd definitely recommend the book for absolute beginners but if you're an adept, there may be little here that's new to you regarding reading the cards. There are recommendations on tarot decks, further reading, shops, and courses at the end which together offer a valuable resource. There's also a quick reference grid (not visible in the digital copy for review but I'm sure it would be useful). An enjoyable read that's thoughtfully put together with lovely illustrations.

A perfect beginners guide to tarot. As a newbie it answers so many questions you may have but perhaps feel too silly or shy to ask. Then it goes into great detail about the cards, their meaning, representation and how they link to other cards. Own experiences are discussed as well as knowledge. I would probably recommend a hard copy rather than e-book as this useful reference may require some flicking back and forth.
Engaging and informative.