Stinkletoes: A Saga of Fate, Fire, and Folly

by G.L. Avery

566 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2026

Reviews

[Peter Baran]

Stinkletoes, as the name suggests, doesn't take itself too seriously. It is an attempt to bundle up a lot of Norse sagas and eddas and roll them into one humourously inconsistent fairy tale, with an irascible, if instantly too lovable, troll as its lead. It is a book that opens with four maps, and has an almanac of terms, places, and concepts that takes up almost twenty percent of the total book. And that is quite a big almanac, because the book itself is long. Or at least, and to this extent it has some fidelity with the original myths, it feels long. And, sadly, it also feels very repetitive for a giant, galumphing adventure, where a giant troll attempts to save the nine realms and the universe, whilst not getting his particularly stinky big toe stolen by a witch,

For all this, it does manage to avoid being wacky or zany, and the conversational approach of the narrator Stinkletoes (he is a troll, as he will remind you incessantly) is initially very beguiling. Despite being large, violent and owning two named fists, he is a bit of a trickster and likes to solve problems with his wits. Tasked with securing the heartstone of the Universe, he builds a small band of orphans and is joined by a wizard and his nemesis - the grandmother after his toe. There is some pathos with the urchins, though there are too many for them all to have much personality beyond their leader, Nobody, and brave blind warrior Vala (the personality of Lars, Son Of Lars is contained solely in his one-joke name). But the problem is the way the saga will unfold is unclear, and so there are just repeated self-contained chapters of minor adventures, with no sense as to how they are progressing the narrative. What starts as delightful soon becomes tiresome, until we get to a finale which, again, as per the sagas, most of the action happens off-screen. Comedy is notoriously subjective, and it may be that the wordplay and general sense of knowing adventure will last the length of the book for you; it didn't for me.

[Paula The Shelf Shifter]

This book is a true gem. It’s imaginative fantasy at its best. Combining the premise of a folktale, Norse mythology, and a touch of science fiction, it captures the essence of storytelling in a way that is humorous and endearing with lyrical descriptions, playful exaggeration and poetry.

Stinkletoes, a troll of unsurpassable knowledge and cunning on whose head an unbeknownst prophecy lies, and his group of mangy Sparrows, a big-toe hunting Grandma, plus another traveler or two are on a quest to return the most powerful weapon in existence to the Great Hall of the Gods before chaos erupts and brings about the end of their world. While traveling countless adventures are had, epic tales are woven by the old Troll educating the Sparrows about the folly of Gods, heroes, royalty, common folk, and monsters alike while several untoward and evil creatures meet their demise in Stinkletoes’ dinner cauldron. A thorough telling if ever there was one.

Don’t dismiss the Troll’s Almanac without which all good readers will become disoriented!

[Sophie]

This was a unique and strangely delightful read, it lives up to the title! I loved the plays on Norse mythology throughout the book, how Avery wove in sci-fi elements, and how this story was sweet with a fairly grisly edge. The narrator's voice was very distinct and contributed to the surreal feel of this story. I enjoyed his wordplay, anachronisms, and observations throughout the book.

The cast of characters was original, and even very small roles had personality and felt distinct. The mesh of Norse epic with fantasy and sci-fi elements really came through in the characters and was so fun to see unfold. The technology, locations, characters, and even sounds were vividly depicted.

Thank you NetGalley, G. L. Avery, and Stoneflame Books for this E-ARC.