I had enjoyed reading this book, the world and characters were both well developed, though I hadn't liked how often the mothers death was commented upon, as well as the fact that the pacing felt off.

I had the pleasure of reading this e-Advanced Reader Copy of Set in Stone by Stela Brinzeanu thanks to @netgalley

This novel is inspired by Romanian folklore which definitely drew me in!

This novel is set in medieval Moldova. It tells the story of two women from opposing backgrounds who fall in love 🧡
They are stuck in a time where a woman's role is defined by a patriarchal society, owing to a combination of class, religion, law, and their families. The closer they become the more sacrifices they have to make to defy expectations...

What I liked 👍
● The world building was really good and done in a easy to follow way.
● I loved the aspects of Romanian culture we gained insight on.
● The character development was really enjoyable & each had their own unique personality.
● The dialogue felt believable for the era.

What I wasn't keen on 😭
● I loved the characters friendship... I kinda wanted to see a bit more romantic development in their relationship, but I suppose the lack of explicit development connects more to the era.

💭 Overall, I loved the overall theme of women defying expectations... and how it connects to modern society.

Rating ~ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 5/5

I really wanted to love this book. I've always wanted to read a sapphic historical fiction. But it sort of fell short in some parts. The main thing I couldn't get behind is how rushed the love between the characters felt. In the story, Mira and Elina seemed to "love" each other from the start. It didn't really make sense to me, as there was no seamless transition from knowing each other to loving each other.
However, I did like the historical aspect of the book. It was interesting to see how the characters had to be in that setting. And It was really nice to see the girls end up together. I always love when queer romances end happily.

Set in Stone is a reimagining of an Eastern European folk story set in Medieval Moldova.
It follows Mira and Elina, two women from opposing backgrounds who meet and fall in love in a world ruled by men and religion.
The writing was simple yet bewitching. I was captivated by the plot however I did not feel emotionally invested in the romance.
I really loved their interactions with Rozalia who is a herbalist and follows the Old Gods. I also enjoyed Elina's growth as a character.
The ending felt a bit rushed but overall I did enjoy the story!

Thank you Legend Press and NetGalley for my eARC!

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this novel and I found it to exceed my expectations. Both Elina and Mira were well written and overall relatable young women. I really liked the glimpse into medieval Maldova, a world I knew very little about. There were a few moments that got very dark that I was surprised by. I felt the author did a good job depicting those but at times felt they could have been fleshed out a bit more. Overall found the story to be thrilling and kept me emotionally invested. I read it in a day and I definitely wanted to know if Elina and Mira got together. A great depiction of strong women striving for independence. Would definitely pick up another book by Brinzeanu.
#SetinStone #NetGalley

I wasn't able to finish this book but I think that it was that this book was not written for me personally. I did find that the writing was a little confusing to understand.

So unfortunately this book will be a dnf for me. I still want to thank the author and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it. I was just not able to get hooked into the writing. The combination of choices with writing style (both present and also in 3rd person) just led to too much confusion on my part. I still think the plot and characters were developed well and very interesting, but I could not get over the style choices.

Thank you so much to Legend Press and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

3.5* rounded up to 4*

I really enjoy atmospheric retailing is set in areas like Russia or Moldova/Romania in mediaeval times with Boyars etc and I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it added something new to the genre, which has become quite popular in recent years, telling a new LGBT story

I do wish that the climax had a bit more of a climax as well as having the motivations of the characters gone into more thoroughly as I feel like sometimes it wasn’t always clear what was motivating characters, or when we did find out a characters motivations they weren’t strong or very well explained. There are also some loose ends I felt like that weren’t quite tied up, or for me satisfactorily tied up, Similar to my issues with motivations, conclusions were not strong or well reasoned or particularly easy to understand as to as to why things occurred, however overall an enjoyable read and would recommend.

Thank you, Legend Press, for allowing me to read Set in Stone early!

I love historical romances, particularly if queer and starring star-crossed lovers. I love reading books which are not set in the Anglosphere. Set in Stone was all of those things and more. Truly a stunning debut for Stela Brinzeanu.

Wow, just wow. This book was amazing. It has everything that I'm looking for in a historical fiction, and more.

For me, one of the highlights of this book was the setting. I've never read a book set in medieval Moldova before, and as a history fiend I loved the insights into Moldovan culture and history at that time.

The other highlight was the characters. Set in Stone is very much a character-driven book (there is a plot, of course, but the characters are key). At first I wasn't sure about the characters, but I gradually came to adore them. By the end I was cheering for them, utterly enthralled by their journey.

This is one of those books that will stick with me for a while I think. I absolutely loved it, and can't wait to see what else Stela Brinzeanu writes!

This book was fascinating, captivating and transported me to another time and place. The LGBTQ storyline is appreciated. I have never read a book set in Moldova or by an author from Moldova and am intrigued after reading this book.

While I did enjoy this book for it's very interesting atmosphere and how it got harder and harder to put down, I also think it felt too rushed at times.

Elina and Mira fell in love way too fast, they barely knew each other. And I did enjoy the fact that homophobia (at least what it was back in that day) was barely mentioned but it's very, VERY unrealistic for them to be like "oh look I'm in love with a woman" and just be... chill about it, I guess?

Moreover, I liked this book a lot, I liked Rozalia and Mira together, I liked secrets getting revealed one by one and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the ending. But the romance in the first, I don't know, 30% of this was actually laughable. I think that might be because a lot of other things were happening that the author felt like getting it out of the way? I mean, it felt like it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Mira’s growth throughout the book and her passion for learning the healing ways made me feel like I was the one learning myself.

Thank you Brinzeanu for writing such a fabulous books, I had never read anything inspired by Moldovan folk stories and now I’m hooked!

I loved this book which, inspired by a Moldovan folk story maintained an atmosphere shared by folk tales of many European countries. Sharp woodsmoke pierces a frosty evening and witches live in clearings in woods.
By creating a full narrative and fleshing out the characters in her tale Brinzeanu gives us the tools to look again at al the stories we know so well from our childhoods. A witch? Or a herbalist and naturopath? The principal boy in English pantomimes being played traditionally by a girl, theatrical convention or shedding light on a practice that was common in every town and city? After all, the way women were subjugated and risked their lives to bear children surely many of them decided to try a disguise and a new reality.
Everything about this book worked for me, the characterisation was very strong from the smallest role to that of its protagonists Elina and Mira. I felt for both women as their family loyalties and belief systems were challenged over and over.
The scene setting was also beautifully done. I have a clear mental image of Elina’s home, Mira’s and Rozalia’s hovel and her private space. I could smell food cooking, feel the cold of the nun’s cell and feel the hot breath of Elina’s horse.
The pacing of the novel was also spot on for me. A gentle first half and then it took off, gathering pace and excitement and causing me to write this review at 1:45am because it wouldn’t let me put it down and go to sleep! While there were parts I could predict it didn’t matter, I just wanted to be there when those predictions came to pass.
I will be recommending this book to as many people as I can!

I really enjoyed Set in Stone. It takes place in Eastern Europe back in a time when women had little to no rights whatsoever. It tells of Mira and Elina, two women who could not be more different, and the relationship that develops between them. I loved Mira's character, she is smart, determined, and thoughtful. I enjoyed her learning Rosalina's craft and how much it changed her into a confident woman who would fight back against injustice. Elina was a bit tougher to like, she is from a well-to-do family and is quite standoffish. I did like her growth through the book and was really rooting for her in the end. It is a great story with some honest surprises along the way. It also has a stunning cover. Well done!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my review.

A quick summary: set in Medieval Eastern Europe, two women of different classes (the daughter of a nobleman and a potter’s daughter) meet and fall in love. They must each undergo their own journey to find each other again.
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The world building is great, presented in simple and graspable language. I like the Romanian terms (even if I have to look them up- I didn’t find the glossary until I finished the book, so it would have been helpful to know that it was there). The dialogue feels quite formal but reflective of the time for the most part, though sometimes there’s a bit of a disconnect between it and the time period of the setting. The characters feel pretty fleshed out and very distinct from one another, even the smaller side characters.

That being said, I wasn’t convinced by the development of the relationship. Elina refers to them as “close friends” and they do spend a good amount of time together past the first few chapters, but I didn’t feel like enough time or depth was given to their romantic relationship beyond that to lead to the eventual conclusion. I suppose the time that the characters spend apart probably increased their longing for one another, but I didn’t feel particularly engaged in their story as a pair of lovers. Both arcs were interesting enough to keep me reading.

I liked the overall theme of questioning what a woman’s place was in Medieval times. as the characters went through their journeys, it made me think about how certain events would be reacted to today and how things have or haven’t changed. I also wonder how historically accurate this novel is in its portrayal of the events that take place.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

words are words until they’re not. until they’re a world. until they build a life to climb into entirely unlike your own. this book, this language, this escapade— it is irreversible. i will never again be who i was before i came in contact with this structured presentation of what it is to imagine, what it is to know of a world outside your own. of a world inside someone else. i feel new.

mira recognizing her potential and crafting her abilities (that surely were buried inside of her all along) was blissful. the witchy storyline was so smoothly presented, blending seamlessly with surrounding plot. i loved the transfer of knowledge and passion from rozalia. i will say that certain bits of this storyline left me devastated.

mira and elina were beautiful together. i enjoyed the progression of their relationship a bit deeper into the book. while i do believe that they could have simply been drawn together, their initial spark of romance was very sudden and unexpected. if only the audience could have been in elina’s mind, understanding the decision making process, the melting desire that coated her lungs and made her reach for mira’s own air.

it seemed that mira was the base and everything built from her stable ground. at times her safety wasn’t sure, but she was always the grand centerpiece— always spectacular, knowing, wise. i was drawn to elina’s determination and strength. how time didn’t deter her. how she uncovered the truth and fought to save those she remained loyal to. it was beautiful to see their lives blend, beautiful to know them.

I really enjoyed this book it was compelling with a great storyline and a setting that I loved. I loved the characters and I was rooting for Elina and Mira, neither of who have a particularly easy time. There are some hard hitting issues in the book which are dealt with sensitively. I really enjoyed it.

Overall, I liked the plot of "Set in Stone". The idea was interesting and I liked Mina's arc.

My main problem was that the romantic connection between the protagonists felt rushed and underdeveloped. There were a lot of ideas introduced and just kind of developed off-screen, so I didn't really feel invested in the characters as much as I could have been.

Set in Stone is the story of two girls who fall in love in a time when that was deeply, deeply frowned upon. Mira, a potter's daughter and peasant, falls for the beautiful yet boyish Elina, the daughter of the village boyer, who has just lost her mother and who's father is petitioning to have Elina's status changed to "son" so she may inherit. Their paths cross one day when Mira, after falling through a weak patch in an iced over lake, is taken into the care of the village herbalist, Rozalia, whom Elina often visits as she was her mother's maid. Their love blossoms despite Elina being promised to her uncle's son, and the trials they overcome take you on a turbulent, emotional journey of heartache, friendship and love. Trigger warnings for sexual assault in this novel. I rate it 4 stars.