After reading "A Keeper of Words", the companion book included in this set, it's apparent that Ms. Ferguson has thoroughly researched both the Tarot and the Arthurian legends. She includes introductions and background on both, as well as an extensive bibliography. Most of the Majors and Court cards focus on individual characters (Arthur and Guenevere are the Emperor and Empress), while the Minors tend to depict scenes from the Camelot romances. She explains the Legend behind each card, discusses the symbolism incorporated in the Majors, and although Ms. Ferguson designed her cards to be read upright, she also lists reversed meanings for those who use them. She features three different spreads - an Astrological wheel, a seven card Horseshoe, and a thorough treatment of the Celtic Cross with a sample reading and a bonus layout poster.
The layout sheet is printed on very heavy paper in bright colors. It's ornately decorated, but shows the cards' positions without words or numbers, so it could easily be used for any of the many Cross variations. Unfortunately the paper was heavily creased when it came out of the package, the ink cracking along the folds after five or six uses.
The cards themselves shuffle easily, a pleasing feel in the hands. The backs feature a gold circular maze on a royal purple star field. Fronts are bordered in lavendar with Celtic designs, and the deck also includes a "cover card" of the Pendragon family crest on the same lavendar. The watercolor illustrations are intricately detailed, but have far more to do with the Arthurian aspects than the Tarot. While not much help to the intuitive reader, the artwork would look very nice framed as prints. My personal favorites include "Morgause", the Queen of Swords; "Morgan Le Fay", the Moon; and "Nimue", the Priestess.
There are of course a few changes to the Tarot cards, but far more than is common in such specialty decks. The pentacles and wands are replaced by shields and spears respectively. Each card lists both its standard name and its Arthurian reference. The names come in handy, since the suits are visually denoted only by small icons in boxes on each card, rather than as part of the images. The four pages are totem animals - Salmon for cups, Badger for shields, Adder for Swords, and Hare for spears.
Without "A Keeper of Words" or a VERY thorough knowledge of the legends, the cards make little sense. The focus is so deeply rooted in how the legends fit each card that visual cues to the intuition are almost non-existent. Given Ms. Ferguson's explanations, however, the two seem almost made for each other. Her book is well organized for reference use, but still kept my attention read cover to cover.
"Legend: The Arthurian Tarot" makes a valuable addition to any tarot reader's collection, and is also great for those interested in the "romantic fantasy" of the Middle Ages.