In this novel, 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.

Susan Wands lives in New York City with her husband, actor Robert Petkoff. Tarot cards, historical fiction, her feline and human companions are among her daily inspiration. Wands is indeed her family name. She is a writer and an actress who has written plays, independent film scripts and historical novels. Her literary stage works include Lady Under Parasol, The Carriage Proposal, and an adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. She wrote many original pieces for the New York performance group The Red Room. A graduate of the University of Washington, her career as an actress has spanned from Broadway to television to regional theatres throughout the United States. She finds special inspiration in the lives of women artists.