Tarot Malefic Time - Luis Royo's apocalyptic imagery on 78 cards
Luis Royo does not make friendly pictures. His work shows fallen angels, mythic figures in decay, landscapes after the fall. Tarot Malefic Time brings that aesthetic to tarot, with a focus on the shadow side of transformation.
The deck is produced by Fournier, a Spanish publisher with a reputation for smooth cards that shuffle well. The format is more compact than standard (60 x 110 mm), which makes the deck suitable for smaller hands or quick readings.
What you see on the cards
The Major Arcana are fully rendered in Royo's signature style. Dark tones dominate, with occasional bright highlights or metallic accents. The figures are muscular, dramatic, often wounded or in conflict. The symbolism remains recognizable for anyone familiar with RWS-based decks, but the atmosphere is hard and direct.
The Minor Arcana are minimalist. They show only the suit symbols: wands, cups, swords, pentacles. No scenes, no characters. That makes these cards less accessible if you are used to narrative illustrations, but it does force you to fall back on number symbolism and your own intuition.
Who this deck works for
This is not a beginner deck. The Minor Arcana require that you already know what a Three of Cups or a Seven of Swords means, without the card spelling it out for you. If you have that foundation, or if you prefer working with pure symbolism, this deck can feel right.
It is also a collector's item for fans of Royo's work. His name stands large in the fantasy art world, with publications in Heavy Metal, awards like the Spectrum Silver Award, and exhibitions worldwide. This deck brings that aesthetic to a usable format.
Pull a card from the Major Arcana as a daily draw and let the image sit for a while. The intensity of Royo's style asks for time before the message lands.
About Luis Royo
Luis Royo is a Spanish artist born in 1954. He broke through in the eighties with his work for fantasy and science fiction magazines. His style combines technical precision with a preference for dramatic contrasts, mythological motifs and figures in extremis.
Besides this tarot deck, he has published numerous art books and contributed cover art for games and novels. His work is known for the balance between beauty and decay, a theme that also returns in this deck.
Specifications
- Number of cards: 78
- Format: 60 x 110 mm
- Publisher: Fournier
- ISBN: 9780738760186
- Guidebook language: multilingual (English, Spanish)
- Artist: Luis Royo
- Finish: smooth coating, full-colour printing
- Minor Arcana: pips (symbols without scenes)
Questions we often get
Are the Minor Arcana fully illustrated?
No. The Minor Arcana show only the suit symbols, without characters or scenes. Only the Major Arcana are fully rendered in Royo's style.
How large are the cards compared to a standard tarot deck?
The cards are narrower and more compact than most RWS decks. The format (60 x 110 mm) makes them easier to shuffle and suitable for smaller hands.
