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  One may consider my actions foolish, revealing this to untold persons. Yes, perhaps I act without caution. However, this book has been published, and made available to, the public at large. To the best of my knowledge, it has completely escaped their notice. So, gentle public, here is my claim : Major Arcana is the best RPG book ever published. Period.
  The Game system is Nephilim : one of ludicrous complexity that encompasses recorded history and before. The setting is in modern times, but the idea of Past Lives is used extensively. The players choose from 9 races, whose goals are simple: they want to go to Agartha, a sort of Pagan Heaven. No one seems to know quite how to get there, but everyone has theories. Primary among the theories is magical advancement: the closer one comes to transforming one's seized human body into the idealized race, the closer to Agartha. The class (derived from the Major Arcana of the RiderWait Tarot) the player picks will determine the character's strategy for getting there, as well as her outlook, her allies, and her paradigm, if you will. The crux of the game derives from the disagreements the Tribes have with each other, and the labyrinthian conspiracies they involve themselves in, in order to defeat their rivals. Humanity as a whole is also an enemy, as many of their societies attempt to capture or kill Nephilim. While the material detailing these classes in the rulebook is adequate, Major Arcana goes into considerably more depth.
  The book begins with a section regarding the history of the Arcana, or Tribes. It details the joining, the leaving, their numbers, and the outsiders. Then a long, and possibly accurate, history of the Arcana follows. One of the chief strengths of this book and the game in general, is the entertaining way in which history and fact are blended with suppositions and fantasies. According the Waite's own history of the Tarot, the important thing to remember is that there is no connection whatsoever between ancient egypt and the Tarot. Hite's history begins with just that supposition, creating a mythical (probably) origin for the deck.
  After the history we get into the meat of the book: details of each (except for Unnamed, arcanum 13) Tribe. Mindblowing would be one way to describe the text, illuminating, another. One can almost see the conspiracies laid against each other across the very spans of history. In short, it really comes alive. Each chapter is divided into several parts. Beginning each section is a description and interpretation (from a game perspective) of each of the cards. Following is the general philosophy of the whole tribe, in effect, what marks each member. After that we have enemies and allies, followed immediately by a text box describing how that particular Tribe views all of the others. The effect is similar to the text box in Mage: The Ascension. I find the insights extremely useful: they are both political and illuminating. Then we have a section regarding the Simalacrum, the body each Nephilim inhabits. How they care for their body is a further reflection of their philosophy, although some hate the humans they inhabit most passionately. The mundane section reflects upon how the world at large is interacted with. Following this is a section regarding Arcane secrets, further divided into Initiation, Secret History, Secret Places, and Arcane Techniques. Most Tribes have places and techniques which vary in power and interest. Finally, we have a section on Arcane Tasks, each with three story seeds relating directly to the Tribe in question. The last page is devoted to an NPC from said Arcanum, usually of significant power and importance. The quality of each section varies somewhat, but nearly all contain evocative and insightful information. Some, like the Magician, have several rather powerful techniques, although for game balance this is offset by most of the other Arcana hating them.
  The artwork is not particularly great, although it is appropriately styled for the theme of Tarot decks. Each section contains several sketches and a photo of a person meant to look like the Tribe in question.
  The primary strength of the book comes from the Tarot itself, which many have found to be keys to certain archetypes of univeral truths. Each Arcana is said to represent mystical forces writ large upon reality itself. Difficult to directly express in words, these truths make most sense from a game perspective, where they plug into a series of plots and counterplots the characters may involve themselves in. So for example: while the symbolism of the Tower may be interpreted as the failure and fall of man's pride, it may also be interpreted as psychological warfare.
  Furthermore, the characters are involved in magic to a degree that may be astonishing in some ways. Mostly this manifests as legends of past NPCs and their fame, names which you have doubtlessly heard. The book makes several assertions that sound unlikely, regarding the truths of history, and their secret causes. Entertaining Lies, no doubt.
  The only real downside to Major Arcana is easily discerned from the title. Like a college course load, the amount of work you may have to put into reading is possibly huge, though ultimately rewarding. Discerning truth from falsehood has never been more entertaining. When in doubt, remember this warning label from the main book. This Game is Not Real: You Are.

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