There were some very difficult topics within the storyline of this book, but for all of that I loved it. Beautifully written.

Author Stela Brinzeanu started from one local Moldavian legend she hated – a legend infused with patriarchal oppression and extreme self-sacrifice – and turned it into an amazing story of women’s courage, talent, self-knowledge, and passion.

Set in Stone is a beautiful fiction story set in Moldavia in the middle ages. Its main storyline is about about two young and fearless women who discover their own way in a world defined by religion and class. Just to give you a glimpse, Moldavia of those times was a place where only male children were inheritors and women’s biggest fortune was to get married.

I enjoyed a lot reading Set in Stone! I especially enjoyed 3 aspects of the story: (1) the reinterpretation of the local myth of master builder Manole (RO: Legenda mesterului Manole), (2) the witty and bright twists of the story, and (3) the local language words sprinkled throughout the story.

The tale of master builder Manole is about the self-sacrifice needed to achieve greatness. In a nutshell, the story says that Manole had to sacrifice his pregnant wife in order to build the most beautiful monastery (the sacrifice being encasing the woman, alive, in the walls of the monastery). In Set in Stone, the myth was reinterpreted in a super interesting manner! No spoilers here, but let me tell you not all greatness has to be achieved with so much sacrifice – where there’s a will, there’s a way!

Womanhood is the nucleus of Set in Stone. The women are smart, wise, and capable of immense love. But being different might cause trouble – for example, they are accused of witchcraft when using herbs to cure people.

All in all, as you might already imagine, I recommend reading Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu. It is a book that I will definitely share with my local and international friends, a book that brings Moldavia closer to the English-speaking communities and deserves to be enjoyed by people around the world!

Thank you to NetGalley and Legend Press for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: death, violence, murder, rape (on-page), homophobia, misogyny, victim-blaming, outdated racial terms, racism, drowning, incest.

In medieval Moldova, Elina and Mira live totally separate lives. Elina is the wealthy daughter of a boyar, the aristocratic class that employ serfs and slaves, while Mira is a simple potter's daughter, used to going without a meal and trying to fight off the cold. But when the two are inadvertently brought together, there's an immediate spark between them, and they begin to realize that, as women, their stations in life might not be so different after all. As they come to terms with their feelings for one another, Mira and Elina both will have to make the ultimate sacrifice to achieve freedom -- and the possibility of spending their lives together.

Doesn't the premise for this book sound so great? Medieval Moldova is not a time nor place I've ever seen in another book, and it's a culture I'm not overly familiar with. Even more fascinating, the central relationship is between two women, and Set in Stone tackles many issues (some which we are, sadly, still facing today) over the course of Mira and Elina's journey. It saddens me to say I'm not able to give more than three stars here, though. For me, there were too many problems to bump this up to a full four stars. With that being said, let's delve into what worked for me, and what didn't.

Firstly, Brinzeanu's writing style didn't click for me. It was a little too dry for my tastes, and when it wasn't, the similes felt strangely overwrought. There was more telling than showing, which grew a bit irritating over time. I wanted to actually feel as if I was experiencing the scenes, instead of being told of it secondhand. This problem persists throughout the novel, although I will say that the longer I read, the more acclimated to the style I became.

Sadly, the characterization also struck me as a touch shallow. While I ended up loving both Elina and Mira, it took quite a while for it to actually feel as if you're seeing the events and emotions through their eyes. I also found the abrupt beginning to their relationship not only strangely paced, but I struggled with whether or not it made sense for young women of this time period and place. Personally speaking, I'm a huge fan of slow-burns, and I think there was more than enough time to work up to their relationship, and deepen it in the process.

That being said, I did root for both of them, separately and together, and this book offers a beautiful (and harrowing) insight into Moldavian culture, religion, class, and, of course, the lives of Moldavian women. There are some beautiful moments, suffused with nature magic and the tenderness of love, but once again, the writing style kept you at such a distance that it was sometimes hard to admire them fully.

One of my other issues concerns a (very one-dimensional) side character, Dafina. Dafina is a Romani slave, and in the brief instances where she interacts with Elina, she comes off as stereotypically "mysterious," reading palms and telling fortunes. Had she been more developed, it might've not been an issue, but otherwise, she serves little narrative purpose -- well, she does serve a purpose, but it would be a huge spoiler to say how. Let's just say that the purpose is to further Elina's journey, and otherwise, Dafina is just a walking stereotype, there to make cryptic comments and save Elina's hide. The slur commonly used against Romani people is also frequently found in this book. As I'm not Romani myself, I can't say whether or not this is offensive in its historical usage (considering Set in Stone takes place in the Middle Ages). I would love some input on this; all I'll say for now is be forewarned, and it did make me uncomfortable when I was reading it.

Overall, I did like Set in Stone, but nothing about it blew me away. I'm not sure it's the kind of book that will stick with me for very long. If you're interested in the culture and the time period, I'd definitely say give it a shot, but as it stands, for me, this felt more like reading a screenplay. I will consider picking up whatever Brinzeanu writes next, however, as I imagine her second novel will improve upon the issues I've mentioned here!

I love forbidden romance, and it was done so well in this book that I could have cried.

I have never read about medieval Moldova before, so I have no basis for historical accuracy. But, the setting was described in such a way that I forgot I had no idea what this country looked like. The worldbuilding is amazing. I was immersed from the very first line. I especially loved all the descriptions of the witch's cottage.

Elina and Mira are cute together. I liked how the author brought these two girls together and had them fall in love in a period-typical way. There was no illusion that all the sudden the people around them would be fine with queerness. The obstacles in their path are great, and the strength they had to overcome them is incredible.

I loved this queer historical fantasy book, even more than I had been expecting. Go run for your copies on August 4.

I appreciate any and all stories that tell a different narrative than we've been told our whole lives. I'm sure there were tons of stories that were similar to this one that we've never heard because if it doesn't fit the norm, why talk about it?

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC free in exchange for an honest review

I loved this!

The medieval Moldovan setting was one I was unfamiliar with, but the author manages the world building so well that I was soon fully emerged.

And, it's a forbidden sapphic romance, what's not to love?

If I was going to give one issue, it would be that the pacing felt a bit off. A lot happens in this book, and it's not all explored in very much depth.

Still, I read it in 2 days, and had a lot of fun. I would definitely recommend

I enjoyed the medieval folklore premise and side characters who weaved their way through the story. I especially liked how Rozalia and the Old Cobzar appeared throughout the novel in some form. I appreciated that the author left some things for the reader to interpret instead of spelling everything out. Having an interest in medieval times, apothecaries, and wlw themes, this was an entertaining and quick read! While I won't be thinking about this book for the rest of time, I did enjoy it!
(Already posted review on goodreads)

Based on a folktale that is well-known in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, this book was highly readable and undeniably interesting, but I found the pacing a little uneven. I can see why this story would have caught the interest of the author as a child.

In medieval Moldova, two motherless young women from opposite backgrounds meet and recognise a spark. Elina is the Boyar's (ruling nobility class) daughter while Mira is the peasant daughter of the village potter. Neither would expect friendship to form, let alone anything more, but when Mira is rescued from a serious accident by the local wisewoman, visits from Elina give her the will to recover. Their relationship has many obstacles to overcome, but their love is strong. When all seems hopeless, the pair must consider a most unconventional deception if they want to be together.

The obstacles actually litter the story quite liberally, and I think that contributes to the pacing issue. Many of them are quite dark - some shockingly so - and they are relentless. Still, it provides an interesting view of where Moldovan society has evolved from, particularly in relation to the status of women. I'm glad I read it and would recommend it to those who enjoy reimagined fairytales/folktales.

The text includes some Romanian terms, many of which can be readily understood in context, but there is also a Glossary provided at the end of the book.

Set in Stone follows the story of Elina and Mira, two women living in medieval Moldova who struggle with their roles in society. Elina is the wealthy daughter of the local Boyer and Mira the poor daughter of a potter who begins to be tutored by the local healer/witch, Rozalia. Elina and Mira find themselves drawn to each other, even when society wants to separate them based on class.

While the premise of this book is good, I found the first 50-75% to be super slow. At points I just started skimming trying to find something compelling to read. I thought the relationship between Elina and Mira to be very out-of-the-blue with very few scenes between them before they were confessing their love for each other.

In her foreword, the author mentions something about how the original folktale doesn't end happily, and I found myself wanting to know more about the original tale - perhaps if you knew the tale, this retelling would be more compelling?

Ultimately this gets 3 stars from me. It definitely picked up towards the end but ultimately just not a whole lot happened. No one who wronged the girls ever gets retribution or recognizes they were wrong and the girls end up conforming for society (sort of) in the end to be able to continue to live as they please.

Thank you to Netgalley and Legend Press for the eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

DNF at 50%

I was honestly just bored. The characters lacked depth and their behaviour seemed erratic and irrational. The writing style was easy to digest but felt too simplistic at times. The plot felt like it was going nowhere and I didn’t feel any interest in seeing it through.

I had such high hopes for this book based on the summary.

Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu.

Thank you to Netgallery for an ARC for an unbiased review.

My husband and I love Romania and visit it as often as possible. We love the myths, legends and history, and find ourselves trying to learn what we can about it all, including the tied history to Moldova.
We are an LGBTQA household (both Bisexual, he is trans).
I love historical fiction, particularly if it revolves around myths and legends, folklore etc.
The synopsis for this book was right up my street.

As to be expected of a book of this kind and era, there are TW for a few things. Not least homophobia, rape and incest. Although most isn't graphic, you should skip this book if you feel it could be an issue.

There are definite pros and cons for me with this book.

The basis of the story came through extremely well. Much of the background is one you can find within other European Women's stories of the time in one guise or another. And further afield too. So in some regards it isn't unique or unsurprising. Yet this managed to still feel fresh and engaging.
The characterisation was solid. I felt each character within the settings were clearly allowed to show who they were.
The biggest let down for me was the romantic component and that lack of development between Mira and Elina. It felt almost too neatly packaged I guess is how I'd term it.
I also felt at times at the start the pacing was a little slow for them. I will say though as the book got into the final 3rd, that pacing was rectified and it was a strong finish to the book.
If I had to sum that aspect up, I'd say the author has no problem bringing us a folktale we can understand. Or even in general the characters within that. But fitting in a romantic component is where she faltered somewhat. I definitely feel the; this is a debut novel, vibe. But despite this I'd certainly read future publications by the author. The book was strong enough for me to delve in again.

I'm vying though on how to rate it. One part of me feels a 3 out of 5 stars fits, but another thinks it deserves 4 stars for a lot of the development and story arc as a whole. So I'm allowing it 4 out of 5 stars. If Historical Queer lit is your thing, especially if Folktale/Folklore based, then certainly give this a try. Or if it is something you've wanted to try but always felt a little daunted by it, then this book is definitely a great jumping off point.

I tried to like this. I really did. Full disclosure, I dnf'ed at about 35% through. The writing, plot and characters were just not working for me and I really just could not even tolerate this. Interesting concept, but no, I just didn't like it one bit.

Set in Stone follows the lives of Mira and Elina, two women living in medieval Moldova, a land dominated by men and religion - anything slightly different to their views is considered heresy. When they fall in love, they must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice for a life together.

This book has a wealth of potential - the premise is interesting, the setting is fascinating, and the characters have the potential to be engaging. However, this book was let down by a lack of story development.

While it was vaguely interesting throughout, it failed to fully draw me in as the story didn't seem to be going anywhere. Nothing much seemed to be happening to pull the story onwards and there was a lack of development between Mira and Elina - one second they were strangers, the next they were in love, but how did this happen? It never fully explained their feelings developing, they were just there.

The book felt a little rushed to me, despite not much happening throughout. I think it has a great premise, all the elements are there (romance, history, witchcraft, religion, events which could be explosive if given the time to properly develop) but it just fell a little short for me.

2.5 stars.

This was such a good book. I love historical fiction, especially when it is about eras/ situations that I previously knew nothing about and this was definitely one of those books. It was so well researched and so compelling in its narrative that not only did I love reading it but I felt that I learned too. A really enjoyable read and perfect for any fans of historical fiction. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me, and I had to give it two stars.

I did really like the setting, and we don't normally see queer representation in books written in that setting, so that was great to see. The female characters also have quite a lot of agency from the start, which is something that tends to get lost in historical books, so I am happy about that.

However, I did end up DNFing this book because I could not fall in love with the characters, and that combined with the content warnings did not make me want to continue reading.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu. I loved the historical witchcraft like aspects of this book, it’s an amazing setting and so underrated! The romance was cute but I felt a little disappointed by it because there were only like 4 romantic scenes and the rest of the time was just Elina worrying about Mira. There was a total lack of development and wasted potential. I would still recommend this if you’re looking for sapphic historical romance but I would advise looking at a trigger warning list beforehand. I have rated this book 3 stars.

Overall, this was a good book with a sweet and tender romance, but I longed for more character development espcially in Elina's POV. I wanted more relatability to get connected with her.

WHAT I LIKED:
The beginning sentence throws you right into the action.
I love the interaction between Elina and her father in the first scene
The atuhor does a great job of capturing the folklore style/mood she was going for
I really appreciate how complicated the family dynamic is and how it fits in with society. I think that has some good social commentary that's even relevant today.
The book definitely transcends the fairytale world it was written for, like good legends are supposed to!
I like how distinctive both POVs are, as well as the interaction between them and how the characters were so compatible
The book was well-paced and had a good balance of heavy and not-so-heavy moments.


WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
There were a lot of very infodumpy parts, especially randomly in the middle of sentences for no reason
Sometimes the use of language didn't amke sense to me, as if it was sort of mixing the voice of a young child and the attempt at sounding like an omniscient fairytale narrator.
I would love to read a fairytale retelling like this where being queer or a woman isn't seen as shameful by the larger society. I wish that there wasn't so much emphasis on misogyny in the book because even though it was probably realistic, it consistently made me very upset and I didn't really see a reason for that.
I couldn't tell how old the girls were supposed to be- I thought Elina was like 12 but then Mira, who seems like 15 says that Elina is somewhat older
I wish the first meeting between Mira and Elina had more chemistry. Also, I wanted more joy in the little moments.
I don't appreciate how slavery seems to be glorified in the sense that the musician is grateful for Elina's grandfather, his old master. It would've been better if it was servant instead, even if there was a wird power imbalance still. Also, "gypsy" is a slur and it's even worse that Elina is using it as such. I couldn't find whether the author was Romani, but if she isn't, I would love for there to be a word change.

The plot of this book is so interesting but the execution was poorly done.
There are some things that I liked about it like the storytelling however I wish there were more development in pretty much every aspect of the book. This story had a lot o potencial but it was wasted. I didn't really felt the romance between the two main characters, it was all way too rushed.

DNF @ 30%

I tried to power through after the rape scene, I really did. Couldn't make it. I felt so alienated and had to DNF.

I love the new wave of historical fiction that centers women, especially queer women, in that history. I love it even more when it’s a history little known to English readers. I certainly knew very little of Moldova’s history before starting this book. I found the story utterly vivid and captivating. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a change of pace in the historical fiction they usually read or a book that fills the hole finishing The Mercies left.