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Two warrior angels. First friends, now lovers. Their future? A WILD UNKNOWN.



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Katee Robert | The Cards Never Lie

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Tarot cards in a sci-fi novel? It seems kind of a weird mix at first glance, and probably second glance, too.

Even in today’s society, tarot cards are met with a wide variety of responses. Some people swear by them… and just as many people swear that they’re nonsense. Then there is the group I fall into – the one who can’t really say one way or another. If you’ve ever had your cards read by someone who does it often, you know what I mean. It’s downright eerie.

So how did the cards work their way into a universe so different from our own?

It started, as most of my books do, with a “What if?” question. I read Ann Aguirre’s GRIMSPACE (which I highly, HIGHLY recommend if you haven’t picked it up yet). In her future, life after death has been proven not to exist. It’s done really well.

But I started wondering what would happen if exactly the opposite were true. What if religion was king? It’s not a revolutionary thought, but the one thing that hit me and stuck was the idea that if there were gods, what if the various ways of fortune telling were truly how someone could communicate with them?

From there, it developed in fits and starts, but I finally decided on tarot specifically because it’s one of the most fascinating forms I’ve come across. There are so many different decks, and each card tells its own story. A card might mean something…until it’s next to another card and then it means something totally different. It’s truly amazing.

Which is where my heroine, Ophelia, comes in. She’s part of the Diviner species, which are a human offshoot. They’re characterized by their violet eyes and the cards they use to communicate with their goddess, the Lady. As with all things, She’s not always benevolent—if a Diviner refuses to give a reading to someone who asks or doesn’t follow the advice of their own reading then bad things happen. Sometimes really bad things.

You can’t have cards that truly tell the future without the consequences that accompany that.

What about you? What are your feelings when it comes to Tarot?

 

 

Comments

17 comments posted.

Re: Katee Robert | The Cards Never Lie

I've had a reading done before, and it was right on the
money!! The cards can be a quite interesting way of looking
at your life, when done by someone responsible, but
personally, I wouldn't run my life by the cards. I believe
that's what Religion is for. Tarot is partly for
entertainment and partly for direction.
(Peggy Roberson 8:57am May 29, 2014)

I'm not really a fan of tarot. Good for fun but not really anything other than that.
(Pam Howell 9:14am May 29, 2014)

I do not know enought to decide. Now, you have my interest
about them.
(Leona Olson 11:15am May 29, 2014)

Haven't had reading in a long time :)
(Dianne McVetty 4:30pm May 29, 2014)

I love Tarot cards I own 9 different decks, and use my Goddess cards every day to tell me how my day will be.
(Aimee Robison 10:25pm May 29, 2014)

I love Sci-Fic! And this sounds like it's right up my alley!!
But Tarot? It makes me nervous. I'd rather not know.
(Marcia Berbeza 11:40pm May 29, 2014)

I think they're fun but do I believe in them? No.
(Alyn Yang 11:50pm May 29, 2014)

I have never saw them in person so I'm not sure. Whoever is "reading" them has to be good too?
(Laura Gullickson 12:21pm May 30, 2014)

I've only read about them and never had a reading. They can
be incredibly complicated with their meanings... I'll believe
in them if I ever do get an accurate reading - which means I'd
have to have a reading. :-)
(Glenda Martillotti 12:31pm May 30, 2014)

I can't say that I believe in them, I think that if it was
real it would cause lots of problems with people changing what
the cards had said would happen.
(Jen Barnard 1:25am May 30, 2014)

I've never had a reading, but who knows, the world is a strange place.
(Sharon Mitchell 3:50am May 30, 2014)

Never had one done....not sure how I feel about it though!
(Bonnie Capuano 5:08am May 30, 2014)

i never had one done
(Denise Smith 9:19am May 30, 2014)


(Tina Lechuga 12:56pm May 30, 2014)

I am quite good at tarot cards!
(Denise Austin 6:08pm May 30, 2014)

I don't believe in them.
(Cynthia Cook 10:29pm May 30, 2014)

I think the cards themselves can be quite beautiful. I have never had a reading but think it would be fun. The jury is still out on whether I think they are accurate. So much depends on the reader and their skill, doesn't it?
(Debbie Kelly 7:46pm May 31, 2014)

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