Francesca's Thoughts

So over on Patreon I’m hosting a book club to discuss Rotting Trees. It’s been huge fun revisiting the novel and coming up with conversation points and while I was thinking about the novel’s themes, vibes and many unanswered questions, I got wondering about which cards in the Major Arcana best represent the characters in Rotting Trees. I’ve considered the characters in book two, Dead Ends, as well, but you guys will have to wait until it’s out for that.

So here are the cards that best represent the characters during, or thereabouts, the events of Rotting Trees. The commentary is spoiler-free, so if you’re new to the series it’ll be a fun walk through of different cards, and if you know Rotting Trees and are desperate for Dead Ends then take note of any hints! If you’re unfamiliar with tarot, I do a monthly reading over on Patreon as well as things like book club, so check that out.

Ariel: The Moon.

Anxiety? Fear? Searching for clarity and answers that can only be found in harsh daylight? And actual bad dreams, of course. (Side note: this is maybe my favourite illustration in the whole deck.)

Sophey: The Hermit.

It is not a spoiler to say that the Hermit might be Sophey in Rotting Trees but I don’t think it’s Sophey in Dead Ends. If you’ve been sleeping on the book two announcement, Dead Ends is the story Sophey’s relationship with Bezzina’s Emporium, just as Rotting Trees is about Ariel’s. I am VERY excited for you all to see inside her head.

Ernest: The Hierophant.

One of the questions in week one of book club is ‘why do you think Ernie makes Sophey and Ariel work together to solve Ariel’s mystery, as opposed to helping more directly himself?’ Ernie is aged one hundred and fifty two, so has earned the right to instruct his staff into action while he himself enjoys a cup of tea. But also, the best teachers implement a policy of ‘try it yourself and see what happens, don’t set the place on fire if you can help it.’

Seb: The Sun.

Emos have the sunniest personalities. Also, Seb’s little sister spends the novel stumbling around with ‘I AM THE MOON CARD’ essentially tattooed on her face, while Seb himself has most of his act together, most of the time. Siblings!!! Such fun to write.

Josephine: Justice.

Josephine could be no other card than Justice.

Henrietta: The Fool.

Henrietta almost got The Devil, but I decided there’s someone in Dead Ends who embodies the card in a different way. The Fool represents youthful optimism, but also folly and naivety. Will we return to Henrietta and/or those themes in Dead Ends? We just might.

Madge: The Empress.

We don’t see that much of Madge in Rotting Trees but I think there’s a Madge in a lot of friendship groups: not the loudest or boldest friend, but the one who always brings more love then they demand.

Chloe: The Emperor.

What’s that? Tradition and authority?

Alexandra: The High Priestess.

Fun fact: you met Alexandra back in 2020 when I set a short story in a magical ice cream shop in Barcelona. She didn’t smoke a pipe then, but she was always the High Priestess.

I almost shared cards for characters we don’t meet until Dead Ends, ha. I think I’ve covered the main cast for book one and return with part two when book two is out in October 2027! The deck, if you’re interested, is The Raven’s Prophecy Tarot by Maggie Stiefvater, aka the only one I can read.

If you like the sound of book club for Rotting Trees, or just fancy a reading an independently-published, free-from-gen-AI young adult series that has almost as much on-page tarot as I’ve just shared, you can grab a copy of Rotting Trees here. Book club is running with new questions each week throughout August, but the posts will stay live forever so you can join the conversation indefinitely. We also have lots of other posts and topics of conversation over on Patreon so if you’ve been looking for a break from social media noise, join us here. And tell me your favourite card design in the comments!

Look after yourselves,

Francesca

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