Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was really excited to read this book initially, but was unfortunately underwhelmed. While it did have excellent undertones of feminism, solid commentary on religion and queer oppression, and a sapphic love story at the center, the main characters themselves did not really grow as much as I would have hoped from beginning to end, which caused their love story in particular to be less compelling. The attempts at understanding and acknowledging Elina's privilege felt rather surface-level, and while I am not Romani myself, I am not sure how to feel about the way the author depicted Romani oppression in medieval Moldova, where this book is set. Some of the Romani characters felt very stereotyped, and the g-slur is present quite a bit throughout. If any Romani readers do pick up this book, I would appreciate hearing their opinions. The book also had inconsistent pacing, with small time jumps between some of the scenes that left me feeling like I missed important off-page information. I ultimately think the premise of the novel held promise, but the execution let me down.

Content warnings: racism (mainly anti-Romani stereotypes and slurs), death of a loved one (on- and off-page), incest, sexual assault, slavery

Amazing how a book can be 300 pages long and have the most uninteresting plot, characters, and the blandest character development with the driest writing I've ever read.

I thought this was a very enjoyable read. I found myself rooting for the main characters and was happy about the way things turned out, despite the hardships they faced throughout the story. There were some places where I wanted a little more nuance and depth, but it was a solid story.

I'd recommend this to anyone interested in historical fiction and sapphic love stories - but also be sure to they had content warnings about the more violent/disturbing aspects of the book.

Thank you to net galley and the publishers for the ebook ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review will contain spoilers.
Content warnings for: rape, incest, death, anti-Roma slurs and racism and slavery.
Set in Stone is a reimagining of a Moldovan legend, and follows the story of two women of very different classes in medieval Moldova. Elina is the daughter of a lord, trying to change her legal status to ‘son’ so she can inherit her fathers wealth without marrying, but her uncle is trying to ruin that and continually r*pes her throughout the book. Mira is a rebellious peasant, the daughter of a potter. When she is injured and can do longer follow in her father’s footsteps, she becomes the disciple of the local pagan witch, learning the ancient wisdoms and worship of the Old Gods that the Church has tried to stamp out. When chance brings them together, they have an instant connection. Unfortunately, medieval Moldova is not a queer woman’s world, and they must fight the law, their families and the Church to be together.
This novel was good despite its flaws. Let’s start with the positives!
This is a very feminist, lesbian story, centring what eventually becomes a butch/femme couple. Elina and Mira’s story is tough, fraught with danger and sadness. The Church is (rightfully) shown as the danger it is, as the local priests and Catholics do their best to stamp out paganism. As a pagan, I resonated with Rozalia’s (the witch) story the most. All the pagan and magickal practices in this books are for the most part, 100% accurate and I recognized some of my own practices and beliefs in this book. It’s rare for me to find an accurate representation of pagans and witches. Elina and Mira’s romance was complicated for me. I felt like it happened without any explanation or lead up(Elina randomly kisses Mira and we get nothing from Elina’s perspective to tell us why or how she felt). However I found myself very invested in their love story and was rooting for them the whole time. The fact that they became a butch/femme couple made me very happy, as butch/femme couples are rare to find in fiction. The book ends with them having a little home, and saving Roma children from slavery by adopting them.
Despite some aspects of the book being underdeveloped, I was captivated and finished the book in a day and a half. This book doesn’t ignore the anti-Roma racism of Moldova, however the author should’ve made less use of the word g*psy, or abandoned the word all together and found a different word to use. The Roma people we did meet felt a bit like stereotypes: Dafina is literally the palm reading, ‘sexy dancing slave’ trope and she has a tragic ending. I don’t know if the author was trying to show how awful things were for Roma people, or if she was using Dafina as a plot device. I would be interested in hearing a Roma perspective on this book.
Elina never truly unpacks her privileged background or why she feels the way she does about certain things, which bothered me. Her loyalty towards her father despite how terrible he was also bothered me. She should’ve let the peasants kill him and burn the house down, but that’s just my opinion.
Overall this was a fairly solid work of historical fiction. It definitely has it flaws, but at the same time has an important story to tell. The author says she ‘seeks to give a voice to the women who have been silenced’, And I think she accomplishes that. 3.75/5 stars.

To sum up Set in Stone in one word? Underdeveloped. This is a book that promised much, and ultimately delivered little.

Set in medieval Moldova, this book follows two girls, one born to a rich man and one to a poorer craftsman. Tying them together is a woman accused of witchcraft.

When I say that this book was underdeveloped, I mean it on every level, from the world to the characters to the plot. None of it felt more than surface level and that, primarily, is what let this book down.

Possibly the clearest example of this was the worldbuilding. But for a few Romanian words thrown in, the odd reference for a voivodeship, this could have been almost any pre-modern era in Europe. None of it tied it particularly to medieval Moldova. That, to me, was what made it especially boring—plot and characters I could have dealt with being light on, if I’d felt that there had been work put in to making the world come alive. As it was, a few Romanian words do not a world make.

Second on my list would be the lack of development with the characters then. This is a book where it feels as though the two girls have two scenes together total before deciding they’re in love with one another. I know the stereotype is that lesbians move fast, but Jesus… The lack of fleshed-out-ness of the characters of course extends to the supporting cast, none of whom really come to life off the page. The underdevelopedness of the book leads to a blandness in the characters.

Of the three, then, the plot actually comes out best. Scenes don’t feel too rushed, they’re mostly given time to breathe, and the plot itself is reasonably compelling (if possessing of a few too many tangents that it didn’t have time to deal with in depth). On the whole, this was not the issue I had.

I would say, though, that this is a book where the bare bones are there. It just needed a fair bit more work on it to make it more than that.

3.5 stars rounded down. I was really excited to read this book, I love folk tale retellings, especially when they are queer! I found the plot of the book really compelling--I thought I knew where it was going but it had a number of twists and turns that I did not predict. However, I found the writing itself to bring me out of the story some, and the characters felt a little under-developed. The story also leaned on some harmful stereotypes, especially about Romani people (including using the slur for Romani people). I would also note a content warning for sexual assault if you plan to read the novel. Overall I enjoyed reading the book, but its lack of development and reliance on stereotypes brought my rating down.

it was an exciting and overwhelming and beautiful read. the story is really good and I really liked the ending. interesting wlw stories are rarely found and this book exceeded all my expectations!
it's a good book that I would gladly recommend.

The elevator pitch sounded amazing for this books. There were so many directions it could have gone in.
This book should absolutely have a trigger warning, which I shall share with you.
There is repeated sexual abuse with one of the characters, which isn't extremely detailed but incredibly disturbing. The book is written from two perspectives, a very fancy rich girl, Elina and a poor pottery making girl Mira. They meet an alleged witch and follow their journeys.
With the politics happening now around abortion and consent this may have been an even harder read than usual.
The book in my opinion was way too long and way way too sad. I guess the world building did work, cause I was sucked into a medieval (could be later, but def no electricity and stuff yet) setting of women having to be very subservient.
This was a blurb that caught my attention - 'An engrossing tale of superstition, rebellion and love'. There was very little love, a lot of superstition and very very slow paced and sad rebellion. I love this genre, but I just had a bunch of issues with this book.

Set in medieval Moldova, Set in Stone is a love story centered around two women Mira an Elina. The main themes of this book (religion, class, gender and the patriarchy) were interesting and I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Mira and her mentor Rozalia.

However, the main issue with this book was the pacing. Whole chunks of time is skipped over which means that we miss the development of the relationship. We're told how in love they are rather than shown it. As a result the intensity of the relationship comes from nowhere and it's a lot harder to be invested in them.
For the first half of the book Elina's actions and motivations seem inconsistent and made it hard to engage with her, but this does improve in the second half. The second half in general is a lot stronger. The plot builds and gets more interesting, and the pacing is a lot better.

Overall I appreciate what this book was attempting to do but unfortunately feel like the concept was better than the execution.
Thank you to Netgalley and Legend Press for the ARC.

Set in Stone is a fantastic novel interweaving the stories of three women in medieval Moldova struggling against control over their lives from both the church and their male relatives. It's carefully and intricately written, capturing the individual stories and personalities of its characters whilst showing how their lives intertwine with each other, as well as the limitations of the world around them, and the resistance they put up against it.

Elina, Mira and Rozalia are all incredibly compelling characters, who slowly win you over and then leave you with lasting impressions that echo beyond the novel itself. I really appreciated Brinzeanu's dedication to slowly building this story and her characters, allowing their complexities to shine through and not forcing them to be likeable - either to each other or to us. They felt so real, and they were so much more impactful because of it.

The pacing of this story is also wonderful. Instead of dramatic twists and turns that lead to a predictable climax, the plot is full of sudden dark, tense surprises that completely redirect where the story is going. It fits so well with the mysterious, magical tone of the novel, where you don't entirely understand what is happening around you unless you take the time to be patient and listen.

Everything about this book is infused with magic. The language, the imagery, the blending of herbal medicine with nature-based spirituality with religion with self-enlightenment. The line between 'real' and 'not real' is not just blurred but demonstrated as unimportant, and you become drawn into Rozalia's world where fear is a result of ignorance and misunderstanding.

Finally, the love story between Mira and Elina is sweet and meaningful. It's not the entire centre of the story, but its a driving force and the basis for beautiful resistance and women wrenching back control of their lives over others.

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough. It's truly a gem.

in medieval moldova, two women from opposing backgrounds fall in love. fall in love they do, but the lack of romantic development meant that my care for them was perhaps not as extreme as it could have been.

there is some incredible storytelling here - the writing style was my favourite part of this - but again the lack of development was infuriating. i needed more on the characters and more of the romance to be truly captivated by what could have been a five-star story. historical fiction that gives voices to forgotten women in history as two women fall in love should have had me hooked. unfortunately, it didn’t.

thank you to netgalley and legend press for the arc!

Of course had to give a lesbian historical fiction novel a read. This just didn't quite get there for me. Love the setting (medieval Moldova), love the writing, loved the folktale feeling, but I needed romance. I want pages of longing. That is definitely my personal preference but it is what I found lacking. That said, what a lovely glimpse into a setting that I don't often get to frequent. It is also a reminder that LGBTQ people are facing many of the same challenges so the conflict rings true over hundreds of years.

I received an ARC of Set in Stone from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Set in Stone, more than I thought I would! The world building and characters were the highlights for me, as I felt both were well developed and compelling. I was invested enough in the characters that I could easily forgive the sometimes choppy plot.

My main criticism, however, centers the romance between the two main characters. I felt that their relationship developed too quickly without substance, but towards the end of the book it felt much more believable and I was invested in a way I hadn’t been towards the beginning.

Overall, it was a well written and enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes unique and historical queer stories!

Reading the summary of this book, I was immediately intrigued. Not only is it a sapphic historical fiction, but one based in Eastern Europe & Eastern European (Moldovan, specifically) folklore. The opportunity to read about a culture that I am otherwise uneducated on really struck my fancy, and I was really excited to read this novel, but I feel as though I have been let down.

My main issue is with the pacing of this novel. Everything seemed to be happening very quickly—boom boom boom. Things would happen and I could tell the author wanted me to connect with the situation or character, but I just didn’t feel invested in the characters or the story. The romance specifically felt rushed, to the point that I didn’t really care what the outcome would be, which is not really ideal for a historical romance.

I think this story has great bones, but fell flat in execution. 3/5⭐️

AN INTERESTING PREMISE LET DOWN BY A LACK OF DEVELOPMENT

Development. That's definitely the one thing this story needed. For while the premise was interesting, the setting was unique and the story was engaging, it never really managed to capture me. It just left me wanting more. I needed more plot-development. I needed more insight into the characters. I especially needed more romance. That was probably the biggest offender. I never really understood why Elina and Mira were suddenly in love. It came out of nowhere and blindsided me. I really didn't understand it. And with their romance being the driving factor of the story, it really hurt my overall appreciation of the book.

Folklore, darkness and light, this was a great read for me.

The two main characters had plenty of their own space. This isn't a clear historical romance as they develop their own pathways and have their own stories.

I loved the dabbling of Moldovan culture and history throughout as well.

Living as a woman in the countryside in Moldova
It is rare to find a historical novel with a sapphic twist set in Eastern Europe. The author grew up in Moldova and takes her inspiration for this debut book from an old Moldovian legend. The narration is weaving slowly and inexorably a very likely tapestry of post-medieval and pre-„modern“ rural life with all its superstitions, the influence of the church and its bigotry, the vast divide between peasants and the ruling class. The two main characters belong to the opposite sides of society - but both are women and thus live in their cages constructed by patriarchal society. Stepping outside can be life-threatening and very few options are open most depending on men. This story explores those options convincingly.
The writing itself is simple, but compelling and fits the times and background of the two main characters. I liked that some Moldavian vernacular was woven into the story. Some aspects e.g. the character-development, the budding feelings could have been explored in more depth. The secondary characters like Rozalia and The Old Cobzar were very worthwhile.

Trigger warning: Those were harsh times. So there is violence and abuse.
Thanks to Legend Press for the ARC via netgalley. I wrote the review voluntarily.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars (rounded up)

Content Warnings: anti-Romani language, sexual abuse, incest, attempted murder, violence, death

Set in Stone is a historical fiction novel inspired by medieval Eastern European folklore and told through a feminist lens, centering women. The novel follows two women: Elina, a noblewoman who is attempting to change her legal status to 'son' so she can inherit her father's estate; and Mira, a potter's daughter whose decision to learn the craft of the local wise woman puts her in grave danger.

The concept of this novel was really interesting to me, and on the whole I do think the story was generally good. The execution, however, fell flat for me. Pacing was my main gripe here - it was way too fast. Plot points all happened too quickly, with not enough build up for me to actually get invested in any of it. This was particularly an issue with the romance between Mira and Elina - it felt too rushed and not well developed enough to be genuine, and as a result, I just wasn't feeling the stakes the novel wanted me to feel. This pacing issue was again, particularly noticeable with regards to the romance, but most of the plot points in the book suffered from the same problem. I also felt that the exposition was often very clumsy - very 'tell' instead of 'show' - it didn't feel naturally incorporated into the story, more like people just taking a break to monologue about something randomly.

Overall, I'm afraid this book was a bit of a miss for me due to my issues with the writing. Nonetheless, I did really like the concept (and sticking it to the patriarchy is always a great message in a book).

Thanks to Stela Brinzeanu, NetGalley, and Legend Press for the ARC of Set in Stone.

I love a good LGBT fiction book. This definitely did not disappoint. I loved the main characters and there love took me on a roller coaster. The story was so nice to follow and I definitely felt like I was part of it. I though the touch of having the native words slipped in was really nice and it definitely helped having the glossay at the end!

I only read 20% of this book so keep that in mind. I despised what I read, the characters were insufferable, I hated the proselytizing, and the writing wasn't that great. These things could change in the rest of the book, but if no one wants to read past the first fifth of the book, then it won't get anywhere.