This is a charming novella. The story of Beauty and the Beast reimagined and set on an alien world. A sweet fun easy read. ( )

Lovely science fiction version of the classic beauty and the beast tale. If you are sucker for romances then this is a sweet story to pass an hour or so with. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon in the sun. ( )

In Breath of Life by Christine Pope, Anika is a homesteader’s daughter on a inhospitable planet colonized by both humans and aliens. The planet is bleak and has a unbreathable atmosphere. One day when her father crashes his transporter he has to steal a plant from the field of their neighbor, one of the alien Zhore in order to save his life. When he is caught he must make a terrible bargain with the Zhore which changes Anika's life forever. If this plot sounds somewhat familiar, it is because, as others have mentioned, Breath of Life is a retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". Like other retellings of famous fairy tales, such as [Beauty] by [Robin McKinley], this novella has the comforting familiarity of a well-loved tale. Yet the setting and characters are new and well defined. I particularly enjoyed the authors descriptions of the planet and the alien Zhore's home. Anika was brave and strong, with a good heart as all fairy tale heroines should be. The "beast" was mysterious yet generous and interesting. All the supporting characters were full and well described as well. I enjoyed this short read. It was gentle and romantic. It had slight gothic overtones, but was not frightening. There was no content that would be inappropriate for younger readers. I will look forward to other works by Christine Pope. ( )

Loved the interwoven science fiction with good fantasy. Very reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast. Almost too short, I think that more sub plot would have made it even better. A great read. ( )

I won this e-book in a LibraryThing Giveaway.
I found this book to be an amazing read. Loved it, could not put it down. The characters were wonderfully written and the Story felt like a Sci-Fi type Beauty & the Beast. I wish the story was longer, because I did feel it ended too fast. But it was such a fun read I look forward to reading it again, and will be keeping an eye out for other books by Christine Pope. ( )