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Jack And Anna - Back To Winnipeg

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Having been forgotten by everyone he knows, Jack Hunter receives a call from the most unlikely of his father.

Something weird is going on back in Winnipeg. There have been multiple reports of apparitions and creatures, straight out of folklore, and the police seem to have become more aggressive than usual.

And what’s with all those government agents driving around in unmarked cars, showing badges for departments that no one has ever heard of and interrogating people who speak out?

Can Jack and Anna find the source of all this weirdness before it spreads out of control?

A compelling futuristic adventure, 'Jack And Anna - Back To Winnipeg' is part of R.S. Penney's 'Epic Literary Universe' series of science fiction novels.

362 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 15, 2023

10 people want to read

About the author

R.S. Penney

57 books56 followers
I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario where I attended Saltfleet High School and McMaster University. I've spent most of my life fighting for the little guy in one form or another, advocating for the poor, for environmental sustainability, for minority rights.

Throughout my twenties, I wrote about five novels and threw them all out because they weren't very good. But I improved and honed my skills with each new manuscript. About two years ago, I had an offer from a traditional publishing house, but I chose to go indie instead. Writing is my passion; if I could dedicate myself to one thing, it would be bringing the ideas in my head to life.

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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Gabby Y.
35 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2023
Some background..
Last time I read a book for review by Penney, it was a struggle. I was so excited to be given a book for review, but the story did not seem to flow easily. The MFC was not the strong heroine expected, but the secondary female character was.

💫 With that said 💫
This book follows that female, Anna, and her journey after the universe has forgotten who she and her husband are. This happened in a previous book where they expected to make the ultimate sacrifice, their lives, and well, they did in a way. No one remembers them, they have no bank accounts, all they built has been erased.

Both Jack and Anna are trained Justice Keepers but they’ve lost those titles too. They have not lost their abilities. The book opens on a very engaging action scene, and then is followed by a lot of world building and character development. It’s surprisingly emotional and kept me reading.

The synopsis I read on Good Reads focuses on Jack as the main character, but I’d say it’s equally about Anna too. There are journal entries specific to Jack throughout. I don’t think the synopsis gives Anna the props she deserves. She’s a very strong main character. Jack is a funny lovable character, and together, their relationship is very cute and healthy.

Chapter 10 seemed unnecessary. It does a transition for the rest of the story, but one would think future Earth would be more progressive. Penney likes to use hot political topics in his books, which is fine, but it’s nice to take a break from our world when reading fiction. It’s clear he is a liberal, if that helps you decide if you want to read this book.

The best way I can describe the book is as a mystery sci-fi, with a bit of romance. Jack and Anna work together with Jack’s father (who doesn’t remember him) to solve a problem back on Earth.

There are many relatable human moments included. Some funny, sad, or sweet. It’s always nice to connect with characters.

Thanks for changing my mind, Penney. Great writing, engaging story.
Profile Image for Shay.
257 reviews57 followers
June 6, 2024
Wow. When Penny reached out to me, asking me to read this book. I thought this was going to be a fantasy, maybe have a little romance, with a side of adventure. I did not expect it to have all this and more.
This is a Sci-fi story about a husband and wife. Who after giving up everything, are now renegade bad guys, alien guys. This is after they were actually wiped from existence, in order to save their way of life.
Only to have Jack’s father, who didn’t remember he had a son. Come to him for help. Something weird is happening on earth. Jack and Anna immediately leave to help.
I really enjoyed Penny’s easy yet thrilling world building. I felt that the easy to read wording, added to the reading experience. While also allowing the character build up to creep in. I thought it was an interesting twist to make a main character on the Autism Spectrum, with a side of ADHD. This was done with what I felt was truth and care.
When reading a new author I’m always worried about the action being overwritten in a Sci-fi story. This book seemed to have just enough to draw you in, while cheering for the characters. This also added to the thrill of finding out about the “Bad Guy”.
I was delighted to find out that this was the first book in the series which has five books total. Allowing us to continue this amazing story. I can happily say that I gave this an 8/10 rating.
If you want to check out “Jack and Anna Back To Winnipeg”, or have a teen who is into Sci-fi looking for a good read. I highly recommend checking it out now.
Thank you Penny for giving me this book.

#HaveYouReadReviews
Profile Image for Kassandra.
389 reviews7 followers
December 21, 2023
Let me start off by saying that I would never have had the chance to read this book had the author not reached out to me. I feel tremendous gratitude for this opportunity and I am looking forward to more books of this genre due to this opportunity. This is a genre I’m wanting to get into more and this was the perfect chance to do so.

“Jack and Anna: Back to Winnipeg” was such a fun and quick paced read for me. The holidays have been keeping me busy but this book had me grounded.

Former Justice Keepers, (literally what the name suggests) Jack Hunter and Anna Lenai have been forgotten by everyone, literally EVERYONE. They don’t even have bank accounts or IDs to let anyone know who they are. Jack and Anna only have each other. One day, like many other days, both Jack and Anna are trying to cope with being forgotten by everyone when they get a surprise visitor, Jack’s father. Arthur Hunter asks for help and lets them know something odd is going on back in Jack’s hometown. Winnipeg is in desperate need of help with this odd phenomena and who better for the job than Jack and Anna?! Strange particularities follow and this novel beautifully maps out what these two get into to try and solve what’s going on. I don’t want to reveal too much of this world because it took me by fun surprise and I want others to feel the same way I did when I started reading this book.

The author prefaces the book by letting the reader know that there will be a plethora of information and scientific jargon being thrown at you BUT there will be explanations so you won’t be lost.

While reading it you can obviously tell that this is part of a series *but* is a standalone. This got me more interested in the background of Jack and Anna. Penney built such a beautiful world and I was in awe at how well the other characters were written too. I absolutely adored Jack and Anna together and am now adding “Justice Keepers Saga” to my tbr because I need MORE of them. I need their origin story and how they met. Ugh can I get a Jack in my life??

All of the characters were very well written and in particular the main characters. You get multiple POV so you don’t miss any action. You’ll even see the POV of an alien being!! The author did a great job of distinguishing all the characters from each other.

Something else that took me by surprise about this book was the representation for those with austism and ADHD. Sadly this isn’t something you see often and I’m really hoping authors like R. S. Penney can change that. Jack was so relatable to me and sometimes I really need that when reading.

If you are looking for a book that’s:
-action packed
-fast paced
-sci-fi filled
-adventurous
-fun
then I highly suggest picking up this book and giving it a read.

5/5 star read!!
Profile Image for Morgan Dixon.
87 reviews3 followers
December 10, 2023
this incredibly detailed universe with so many intriguing and interesting ideas. There is plenty of action and cool alien creatures featured in this book that make this a fun read. However, this book is supposed to be a stand alone yet it reads as if I have started in the middle of a very long series. It can be difficult to understand everything that is going on and there are a lot of references to past events and people. Though the everything is explained pretty well considering, as a standalone I wish less of the book focused on the past events that I as a reader never experienced. Overall, this is definitely a really cool science fiction book that I would recommend to those who love reading about aliens, off-planet adventures, supernatural mystery, and alien crime fighting protagonists.
Profile Image for Viktoria.
221 reviews6 followers
August 21, 2023
As someone who hadn't read anything else by this author, I was pleased to discover a new voice in sci-fi with a substantial backlog of works. If you're a fan of the genre, this is an author you won't want to miss.

While this book is a standalone, the author does an excellent job of explaining the backstory of the characters and their previous adventures. Starting from a place where you might expect to have read a previous installment, I found myself quickly drawn into the action and mystery of what was happening on Earth.

The world-building in this book is complex, with multi-universes and various races of those worlds. But the contrast between the advanced planets and the familiar setting of Earth made it easy to understand and enjoyable. The author's use of familiar objects and settings was a clever touch and really highlighted the difference in advancement between Earth and the other planets.

There were plenty of gadgets and gizmos, as is common in most sci-fi stories, but the author doesn't weigh it down with too much technical jargon. Instead, the use of familiar Earthly objects provided a sense of comfort and made the story easy to follow.

The characters, Jack and Anna, were captivating and well-developed. Both had their strengths and weaknesses, but their partnership was a perfect balance as they worked together to solve problems. The story had just the right mix of action, mystery, emotion, and romance, which kept me hooked from start to finish.

Overall, this was a fantastic read, and I would highly recommend it to any sci-fi fan. The author's unique world-building and compelling characters make for an exciting adventure that's difficult to put down.

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182 reviews8 followers
May 3, 2023
I haven't read anything else by this author and he has a substantial back log but if you are a sci-fi fan this is an author to definitely check out.

This book is a stand-alone . The author even explains this in the Author's note at the beginning of the book. Despite the fact that the book begins at a place where you think there must have been a book previously, the author does an excellent job of explaining what has happened to these characters prior to this current adventure and I soon settled into the action and mystery of what was happening on Earth.

As with most sci-fi stories the world-building is complex as you are dealing with multi-universes and various races of those worlds. For this adventure it takes place on Earth and in that aspect it is familiar. I liked the way the author has shown the normal almost everyday setting of Earth against the more advanced other planets of the universes. Anna comes from a planet that is much more advanced and has saved Earth from the environmental disaster it was heading towards. This story takes the reader through SlipSpace travel to driving in cars on Earth. The familiar element was a clever touch and made the story easy to understand and enjoyable.

There were of course plenty of gadgets and gizmos with unusual names as well as space jargon but not so much that it was weighed down and once again the familiar Earthly objects highlighted the difference in advancement as well as provided some sense of comfort.

The characters of Jack and Anna were captivating. Both had their strengths and weaknesses but worked well together to solve problems. Jack relegates himself to sidekick at one point, but I think they complimented each other and were equals. Jack is quite amusing at times and Anna seems the more serious one, but both are likeable.

This was a story that drew me in from the very first. It had action, mystery, emotion and romance in just the right amounts.
Profile Image for LaShane Arnett.
Author 9 books34 followers
September 5, 2023
"So, that’s the way it played out: big with the danger and lots of fireworks."

Jack and Anna - Back to Winnipeg is, in every way, a humorously fun, but emotionally layered sci-fi, creature feature.

It is very well written. The action scenes pull you straight in with such descriptive detail each sequence reads like a great action movie—full of romance and adventure. Think Romancing the Stone meets Guardians of the Galaxy.

R.S. Penny is a new to me author who has an impressive 40+ works under his belt. Jack and Anna BtW is described as stand alone but it seems they are the MCs of a previous series. Do not let this sway you. It felt as if Penny wrote this book consciously—with readers like me in mind. Imagine an art piece drawn in pencil that has been erased, with mere remnants of its former self left on the paper. This mirrors what Penny has done with Jack and Anna’s past. Then he brilliantly weaved these remnants into the story, as to not make the reader feel like something is missing.

Quite the contrary.

You get a complete understanding that a great sacrifice was made—a valiant choice made with Jack and Anna thinking they were going to physically die, (swoon, I love them), instead they became dead to the world, all memories of who they were and what they’d done as Justice Keepers wiped; not even their parents remembered them which proved especially difficult for Anna.

Jack and Anna must navigate through the aftermath of their choice and come to grips with their new reality, all while figuring out how to change the effect their choice has made on a Planetary level.

Great sci-fi fun, emotional with a cliffhanger that makes me ready for the next book, and lo-key willing to travel back and find out who they were before the memory swipe.

I highly recommend this book for lovers of sci-fi, action, creature features and couples in strong healthy relationships.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
212 reviews3 followers
February 28, 2024
I received a copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Jack and Anna- Back to Winnipeg by R.S. Penney is a story about a human who was formerly a Justice Keeper on the Autism spectrum with ADHD, plus a side of inner-alien, and his wife, the amazing Anna, who is also a former Justice Keeper with side of inner-alien from another planet.  Due to a previous event, their existence is erased although they themselves still exist.

The story starts with a hint of suspense to give the reader a glimpse of what lies ahead for our dynamic duo. After that ground work is laid, there's a quick recap for those who missed out on their previous adventures (like me) so you're not left wondering completely in the dark. The first chapter starts off like a good action movie with fast chases, bad guys, stunts, and explosives; these back-to-back details keep the reader engrossed in what is happening. Once things start to settle, someone from Jack's past appears and urges them to go to Winnipeg to help with whatever nefarious happenings are occurring despite heavy opposition from the duo's former boss.

As they get to Winnipeg, Jack is hit with a barrage of memories, yet steels himself in resolve to figure out what is causing problems on Earth. While Anna researches how to restore normalcy, they both attend a  party, Jack attends a protest, and even attracts the eyes of Canadian law enforcement; essentially an average day in the life of the former Justice Keepers.

The troublesome entities want to end the lives of Jack and Anna, stopping at nothing to achieve this feat. Yet with quick wit and several kick-butt moves, they're able to quash each threat as it comes.

If you're looking for a book filled with action-packed material with the occasional warm fuzzy, then I highly recommend Jack and Anna- Back to Winnipeg!
Profile Image for Kayy Gray.
344 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2023
“Halfway across the galaxy with a brief stop in another universe,” he muttered. “And yet i still end up back here.”
.
.
Having been forgotten by everyone he knows Jack Hunter receives a call from his father. Something weird is going on back in Winnipeg, there has been multiple reports of apparitions and creatures, straight out of folklore. Can Jack and Anna find the source of all this weirdness before it spreads out of control?

I was asked if I would review this by the author and i have to be honest reading this book in some parts I generally felt too dumb to read it, but that’s on me lol. I really enjoyed the whole journal aspect in between chapters it felt refreshing and really built character, I loved Jack and Anna’s characters and I loved the chemistry between them, it was nice to have a book that already had a strong build on a relationship without the drama. I personally wish we got to interact, have more scenes with the actually aliens that were terrorising the humans and although this was classified as a stand-alone I do feel like at points I felt lost at parts of the story. Although, this was incredibly written and I really enjoyed how descriptive the action scenes were, the writer’s writing is extremely well done and I couldn’t fault it one bit!
Profile Image for Miriam.
249 reviews
June 9, 2023
Admittedly, this isn’t a book that I would have usually picked out for myself. But I’m so glad that I read it! It’s a great futuristic adventure full of mysteries and bit of a sweet romance.

Starting out in this book, you can tell that there have been previous stories written about Jack and Anna. However, everything you need to know is explained really well. I didn’t feel like I was overwhelmed with information, but I also didn’t feel like I was missing anything.

I really enjoyed reading both Jack and Anna’s POVs. They both felt very authentic and realistic, and their relationship was great. I love a supportive team.

I love the world this book is set in, and I want to learn more about it. The cliffhanger at the end of this one definitely makes me interested in what will happen next. 👀 I recommend giving it a try! Thanks so much to R. S. Penney for giving me the chance to read and review this book. :)
Profile Image for Nikoletta Gy.
3 reviews
January 27, 2024
I probably wouldn’t have gone for this genre otherwise but I’m glad I did! It’s a really cool read about futuristic worlds and creatures with a tad bit of romance and quite a bit of action!

I feel like there were more written about Jack and Anna previously, it kind of makes you feel like jumping in the middle of a story but explains it quite well. They’re trying to save the world from a bunch of cool aliens whilst hopping around in space whilst no one can remember them. Absolutely loved that the main character was neurodivergent, I feel like it’s rare or at least rarely mentioned but it definitely makes him more relatable. The one thing that I absolutely didn’t like though is Anna calling her husband sweetie, maybe it’s an American thing but I feel like it’s such a belittling word to use for a man.

Give this a go if you’re into science-fiction. 🛸
Profile Image for Elio.
22 reviews
February 22, 2024
First of all, I would like to thank the author for reaching out to me and sending me this book which I really enjoyed!

This book follows the story of Jack and Anna, a married couple who everyone has forgotten the existence of, they saved the world but that was their sacrifice. They discover a wormhole in their town and there have been several weird sightings and paranormal events. They have to find a way to close the hole or the universe is doomed…

Not only was this story intriguing and had me always wanting to know what was going to happen next, it was also funny. I also like the romantic side of the story between Jack and Anna, “Anna, it was always you,” he murmured. “I’ve loved you from the day I met you.”

I love the characters, especially Anna, she is awesome.
"How do you know about that?”
“Because I’m the one who cracked that case.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, I recommend it!
Profile Image for Hazel (hardcover.hazel).
156 reviews2 followers
November 30, 2023
3.5 ✨

Thank you to R.S Penney for the ebook in return for an honest review 🥰

Jack and Anna are part of a series but diving into this book as my first one was quite seamless.

I think what really helped was reading the annex first - about the world's, the weapons, and the different elements. After that, the writing flowed and it was easy to adapt and dive into this world.

I loved seeing the obvious love Jack has for Anna, and how independent and badass Anna can be. I really enjoyed resolution and the mystery in this story 🤩 I highly recommend it if you're into sci-fi or if you don't mind a bit of supernatural mystery and some really cool action scenes ✨
Profile Image for Jessie.
121 reviews2 followers
April 23, 2024
I thought the storyline was pretty good, pretty action packed and had its creepy moments. The way those things would burrow into their victims neck to control them—- *shiver* 🕷️ so creepy 😅
Jack and Anna have such a lovely relationship built on trust, respect, and equality. I loved how they talked so honestly through their issues throughout their mission to protect earth, never really letting disagreements get in the way of their main objective.
Sci-fi is not really my genre but it was enjoyable to say the least.
If you like a good love interest, futuristic/spacey, action packed story — this may be the book for you 😎

Special thanks to the author for sending me a copy to read.
Profile Image for zzjennreads19.
150 reviews7 followers
June 15, 2023
I kinda have mixed feelings (in a good way) about Jack and Anna Back to Winnipeg. Often, at times, I was confused (I normally don’t read sci-fi and I think that had a lot to do with it) but at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading. I wanted, no, I needed to figure out what was happening. We had twists and turns I didn’t see coming and reveals that we’re kinda mind blowing!! I can’t wait to see where this saga takes us, because this book was one heck-of-a ride.
Profile Image for Faith Cortes.
21 reviews
December 29, 2023
I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I’ve never really ventured into reading Science Fiction & wasn’t sure how i’d feel about it but this book was really fun to read! An aspect I really loved about this book was its neurodivergent representation. I haven’t read any books so far with neurodivergent representation & I thought it was really nice to read about a character that is neurodivergent. This book was extremely action-packed & while I was worried that the alien aspect of it would be corny, it was actually really fun & exciting to read😂🤭 I really enjoyed this book. I’d recommend if you’re thinking of dipping your toes into science fiction or if you enjoy books about aliens & saving the world🤗
8 reviews
June 4, 2023
J'ai adoré ce livre, d'un bout à l'autre. Au point où j'étais déçu qu'il n'y ait pas eu plus a en lire.
Profile Image for Han.
292 reviews3 followers
September 11, 2024
When Penny reached out and asked me to review "Jack and Anna: Back To Winnipeg" I couldn't say no!

I feel like "Jack and Anna - Back To Winnipeg" is the perfect star war esk book! This book has two really strong leads, I feel like Jack was written to be the main character, but I would argue that both Jack and Anna are the main characters!

This book is a mystery sci-fi, with romance. I feel like this book has a lot of relatable moments that allow the reader to love these characters!
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