Tess

"I believe that you are a unique and gifted individual who only wants to help."

The first book in a series, this novel is the culmination of several genres all thrown into one—part coming-of-age story, part police procedural, and part travelogue. While the title may initially fool readers into believing that Tess is the main character, it is actually Jannet Russman who is the focus. Jannet is an extraordinary woman, with empathic hypersensitivity and synesthesia, giving her greatly heightened psychic abilities. While traveling in Spain, she finds herself involved with the Madrid Police Department and the cold cases they are trying to solve. Can Jannet help the police to solve these cases in time? Who exactly is Tess, and what does she want with Jannet? All questions will be wrapped up in a thrilling conclusion that will leave readers wanting more.

This is an interesting read that can make the reader feel almost as if they’re listening to their own friend’s diary entries. The way that the story is broken up into segments is a unique way of conveying such a story to an audience. It allows readers to be a part of what is going on in Jannet’s life and all the things she’s going through in her trials and tribulations. The concept of the story itself, one where the main character helps with a police investigation while traveling somewhere, is not unheard of. However, Seller’s unique take on her main character makes it stand out. While some of the wording can be mechanical, the story itself is rich with mystery. All in all, this is a novel that creates a unique atmosphere that will keep the pages turning.

Kay Sellers’ Tess, book one of an intended series, proffers a narrative combination of visionary spiritual elements, metaphysics, travel and romance. This fiction story explores the theoretical abstracts of the spiritual world, basically posing a look at a life lived from a fully actualized spiritual and metaphysical based perspective. Although the book is titled Tess, the central character is not Tess, but Jannet Luna Russman, a 34-year-old mathematics teacher with multiple extraordinary abilities that extend well beyond the usual stated preternatural abilities that humans can express, including psychic empathy, synesthesia, channeling, dimensional travel, holographic projection, plus much more.

Instead, Tess is actually Jannet Luna Russman’s spirit guide/mentor from her “source” family, however, her role throughout the story plays out as just as important as Jannet’s. It is through a scenario of metaphysical providence that Jannet initially comes into contact with Tess Aja Conn. Initially, she believes she is having an encounter with a ghost until she later experiences Tess materializing within her own apt, where she imbues her with pertinent information on her life’s path. It is through her engagement with Tess that Jannet learns more deeply about herself, important spiritual lessons, and the metaphysics of this earthly life which aid in her continuous spiritual expansion. Interestingly, throughout the book, Tess either materializes or communicates through various devices, either by text or Word documents. Jannet, always being aware of her abilities embraces them by involving herself in helping the police in Spain with cold cases by providing new evidence procured through her abilities, which also leads her to a deeply connected romance with police officer, Mari Belen. Meanwhile, she grows and learns spiritually with guidance from Tess, as well as training others and building an organization to encourage their inherent metaphysical abilities, she lives a life that takes her between Spain and Portland, Oregon.

Comprehensively, Tess offers readers an intriguing storyline which crosses the boundaries of conventional spiritual ideals, it is a narrative fraught with visionary elements and events. In particular, I enjoyed the metaphysical and spiritual elements, which wholly, held an authentic tone and resonance, especially for anyone delving into the new age / metaphysical waters. Jannet made for an interesting protagonist capable of absolutely amazing supernatural faculties, which I found to be intriguing. Ultimately, this is a story with great potential when it comes to the metaphysics and prominent characters. Tess is a book you will remember long after finishing it.