[Matt Q]

Hi Michael,

Yes, I'd say "set" is better, and has a nice double meaning -- "placed" and "hardened" -- and better sounds. I think you also gain something by deviating from the familiar idiom.

For reasons I can't easily justify, I think a quantitively heavier stress (as in a longer vowel) might sound good here. Along those lines, you could maybe also go with something like "wove flesh onto [or around] these bones", which has nice sounds in the assonant wove/bones, though weaving flesh might be a little odd as an image. Or "bound flesh to [or around] these bones", which also has some nice sounds. But yes, "set" works.

best,

Matt