It's one of my favorite decks. The artwork is delicately done, but not overly precious. I like that I can see the brushstrokes of Jonathan's original art in the cards.The colors are muted, but in a way that complements the theme of the deck. The use of geometry and lines are outstanding, too—pronounced enough to punctuate, but not so crisp that they're jarring.
I find the suits of Swords and Wands absolutely brilliant, but then I'm partial to line work. The Majors have such depth to them, especially Death, The Tower and The Moon.
There are figures in the cards, based on real people, but the features are soft, almost obscure, clearly drawn with a light hand. The cards without figures are incredibly atmospheric, like the Tyldwick Tarot. I think the suit of Coins best embodies this. I've read how some people weren't fond of the "softness" of the art, but I feel it's a matter of taste.
Cardback art looks like it's a digital composition, with the color palette taken from Jonathan's paintings. The aesthetic choice here is as unyielding as it can get in the Fountain Tarot, but it works for me. They're exquisite and hypnotic, like facets of a crystal.
Laid out in a spread, the cards flow beautifully. For me, the narratives are seamless. There was some criticism on how the look of the cards all blended and blurred together, but I have no problem with that. (Trevisan's Crystal Tarot is a joy to me.)
Cardstock is between firm and flexible. Not as buttery as my first edition Wild Unknown, but beautifully matte. The silver edges are a wonderful touch. Individual cards feel thicker to me than the standard. I can easily do an overhand shuffle with my small hands. Riffle-shufflers will probably want to cut the deck into two piles.
Packaging is topnotch, and the little book by Jason has something new to say, even for seasoned readers.
If this deck were a place, it would be like the
Callao Caves of the Philippines. Kind of a cross between limbo and a cathedral.
I don't buy multiple copies of decks, but I have a backup for this one.