Deck Review: Tarot of Dragons

Shawn McKenzie (author) and Firat Solhan (illustrator), Tarot of Dragons. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2022. ISBN: 9780738766294. (link to publisher)

The High Priestess-II

I first used this deck in August 2024. I've been wanting a good dragon deck for a while now, and this one works for me quite well. This deck kit comes in a large box, the style Llewellyn favors lately, with a full sized companion book and the 78-card deck. 

Shawn McKenzie writes the companion book, Wisdom from the Dragon Realm. They have written other books such as The Dragon Keeper's Handbook (link to WorldCat). The companion book is arranged as follows: 

• Introduction. The author introduces the deck's concept and describes briefly the connection between dragons and Tarot. We learn the deck still falls within the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) tradition. 
• Chapter I: A Brief History of Tarot. We get a brief historical overview of Tarot and how it developed over time. 
• Chapter II: The Journey Begins. This chapter goes over some basics such as acquiring a deck and how to care for it. It also goes over the question of whether to invert or not (using reversed cards). The author favors not doing it, and so do I, but leaves it up each reader to decide. For me, as I've stated before, I can usually sense if a reversed meaning is applicable in a reading without using inverted cards. 
• Chapter III: The Major Arcana. After a brief introduction to the Major Arcana, we get the card entries. Each entry gets a full color picture of the card image. You get two text paragraphs that describe the card and go over the card meanings and symbols. 
• Chapter IV: The Minor Arcana. We get a brief introduction to the Minor Arcana including some notes on what numbers and courts mean. Each suit then gets a brief introduction. Card entries feature the full card image. Text is shorter, but still describes the card and goes over meaning and symbols. Court cards are included with each suit. 
• Chapter V: Working with Dragons. This includes four spreads, including two dragon themed spreads. 
• Chapter VI: Journey Without End. This is the conclusion. It offers a nice encouraging note to continue your journey with dragons and the cards. 

The book is an easy read. The text really draws you into the dragon's world. It is informative without enough details for readers. For those who believe in dragons, this book along with the deck can be a springboard to deepen your dragon studies. If you are here for the art, the book provides enough information. On reading the text along with the cards you get an immersive experience. 

Page of Wands

Firat Solhan illustrates the deck. Their art brings the various dragons to life. You get a variety of dragon types throughout the deck. The art is bright, colorful, and rich in detail. If you read in RWS, you should be able to read this deck well. The art is rich enough for intuitives too. I like the detail and brightness; they give the deck a nice positive vibe. The dragon colors do reflect the Minor Arcana suits, which can be helpful for learners starting out. I do enjoy looking at the art and meditating on it. It does bring the dragons to life. 

The cards are borderless. A small like of text identifies each card unobtrusively.  Cards have a soft glossy finish, but they shuffle well enough. It is a Llewellyn deck, so it has their typical thin card stock. The card back is reversible. The cards measure about  4 1/2 inches by 2 3/4 inches. 

If you are into dragons, this deck is for you. I enjoyed using it immensely, and for me, it helped me get a bit closer to dragons. As I rotate decks for a new month, I know I will miss this one. I do hope to get back to it soon. For me this one is now among my top favorites. It can work for beginners, though I think it may be better for readers intermediate and up. In the end, I highly recommend it, and it is one I would back up. Glad to have it in my collection. 

5 out of 5 stars

This kit qualifies for the following 2024 Reading Challenges: