- Creator: Eliza Kingsbury
- Publisher: US Games Systems, Inc.
- Publication Date: May 2026 (US) / August 2026 (UK)
- RRP: US$ 21.95 / GB £25.00
- ISBN: 978-1-64671-293-9
- Reviewed by: Amy Bowker
The Star String Tarot began life as a successful Kickstarter campaign by artist and creator Eliza Kingsbury. In May of this year, U.S. Games Systems published the deck, and if you haven’t worked with black and white tarot cards before this is the best place to start. Kingsbury takes full creative advantage of the light and shadow afforded by this color scheme and her inspired application of the themes of anatomy, nature, and the cosmos, makes this a visually compelling tarot deck.
The 78-card deck arrives in a black and white box that features the same artwork used on the Hermit card. The deck is accompanied by a 20-page instruction booklet (edited by Teresa Settanni Reynolds) that offers keywords for each card, and a simple 3-card spread. While the deck closely follows the keyword associations of the Rider Waite Smith deck, the images on the cards are vastly different. The deck is also gender neutral, with only one lone female figure appearing throughout (on the Star card). Otherwise, humans are replaced by alternate signs of life, notably animals, the cosmos, and anatomical representations such as the skeleton on the Death card and the eye on the Sun card. It’s a nice artistic choice that works well.
The Striking Artwork
Most of the cards were completed digitally, according to the enclosed booklet, though some were in the pen and ink style usually favored by Kingsbury. The cards have a linocut printed look, and what I found interesting was how quickly the intended emotion evoked by the images jumped to the surface. Without the distraction of color, The Star String Tarot seems to get right to the point with its message. It’s an easy deck to work with.
The Star String Minor Arcana Suits
The guidebook refers to the suits of the Minor Arcana by the traditional Rider Waite Smith categories (Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles), though you won’t actually find any of those familiar objects on the cards themselves. Instead, the imagery that appears on each card is swapped out for: Feathers and Birds (Swords), Comets and Animals (Wands), Water and Marine Life (Cups), and Plants and Insects (Pentacles). The symbolism makes sense when you consider the elemental associations of Swords-Air, Wands-Fire, Cups-Water, and Pentacles-Earth.
Speaking of the Minor Arcana, the entire suit of Wands is frame-worthy. This suit favors comets and stars in a way that perfectly captures the energy of the Wands. The 8 of Wands, for instance, depicts eight comets soaring across a dark sky. The essence of movement is communicated beautifully.
What is it like to work with a black and white tarot deck?
The black and white color motif works to full advantage in distilling each card down to its essential meaning. And maybe it’s just the sci-fi aficionado in me, but the color scheme combined with the cosmos theme evokes a kind of vintage Twilight Zone vibe, namely the title card from that series in the 1950s and 60s. You could hardly find a better association, in my mind, or a deck more worthy of the comparison.
Bonus Points for Having a Cat Card
A gorgeous black cat rules as the Queen of Wands in this deck, posing regally against the backdrop of a star-filled sky. I’d like to think that the black cat from the same card in the Rider Waite Smith deck strutted out to centerstage to receive the accolades she deserves. This card is also one example of how this deck so wonderfully isolates some of the symbolism of the RWS artwork to convey a succinct association. Here the card keywords are magic, confidence, charm, and creative drive. A cat-worthy interpretation.
This deck will appeal to:
If you read tarot cards and are open to a black and white deck, I think you’ll have success with these cards. The energy seemed to just jump off the cards, and the lack of color actually made them easier to read in some cases.
This deck might not appeal to:
If you’re new to reading tarot, you might prefer more imagery, colors, and a thicker introductory booklet to jumpstart your intuitive powers. Likewise, if the idea of a tarot deck in black and white doesn’t appeal to you, this deck might not resonate.
The Star String Tarot in Practice
I did a few readings with this deck over the course of a week and found the cards easy to handle and interpret. I used the Celtic Cross spread and loved the impact of seeing ten black and white cards laid out together, especially the juxtaposition of light vs dark cards such as the Ace of Swords and the Star. The images themselves also had immediate impact; the Five of Swords perfectly embodied conflict, the Eight of Wands prompted me to get moving, and the King of Cups (that placid turtle!) was the poster child for emotional equilibrium.
More About the Creator:
Eliza Kingsbury is an illustrator and artist who finds inspiration in historical etchings and prints, mythology, and folklore. She is also a musician, writer, and performer.
The Star String Tarot is now available for purchase direct from US GAMES INC. here: https://www.usgamesinc.com/the-star-string-tarot and from all good UK bookshops from August 2026.
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