Kata and Tor

By Author / Illustrator

Kevin Crossley-Holland

Genre

Historical Fiction

Age range(s)

11+

Publisher

Walker Books

ISBN

9781406399059

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

01-05-2025

Synopsis

A tale of star-crossed young love set against the backdrop of the Viking invasion of York, from a master storyteller.

Tor is the youngest son of Harald Hardrada, King of Norway and leader of the Viking fleet, whose countless victories have been woven into song, his prowess the stuff of legend. Kata knows little of her parents, but her heart yearns for something beyond the small world of her Anglo-Saxon village south of the great city of York.

When Tor is sent to scout ahead of the Viking fleet after their invasion of Scarborough, he relies on his charm and his guile to learn the lie of the land and the location of the regional earls' forces, ready to report back to his father. Soon, however, he meets Kata, a caring and capable young woman whose fierce nature sets Tor's heart alight.

But these are troubled times. Mistrust and rumours ripple through the land: the mighty Hardrada is coming and help is far from hand. As the eve of battle draws closer, Kata and Tor must question to whom their loyalty lies: heart or home?

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Reviews

Sue

It is 1066 and King Harald Hardrada is planning to invade York with his Viking fleet. His youngest son, Tor, and his companion, Eirik, have been sent ahead to gather information, but an accident wrecks their boat. With Eirik dead, Tor is left to complete his mission alone. Whilst gathering information, Tor meets Katya, an Anglo-Saxon girl, and the two fall in love. As war approaches, each must ask themselves where their loyalties really lie.

Kevin Crossley-Holland is well known as a master storyteller, whose passion for history and folklore combined with skilled use of language make any book he writes a 'must have' as far as I am concerned. Set in 1066, readers might expect Kata and Tor to be about the Norman Conquest, a well known date and event in English history, but instead it focuses on the events which led to the Battle of Stamford Bridge, just a few weeks before the Battle of Hastings.

Perfect for anyone studying the events surrounding the conquest of England, Kata and Tor also offers an engaging 'human' story of those caught on opposing sides - a 'Romeo and Juliet-style relationship! Although the son of a King and expected to partake in war, Tor questions many of his father's decisions, not relishing the violence and chaos of conflict and conquest, not wanting to fight. Kata also feels trapped into a path which has been decided for her - marriage and a life of farming or perhaps life sequestered in a nunnery. When they meet, a different future seems possible.

Kata and Tor might be fictional characters, but story is rich in historical detail and also encourages readers to consider the choices people make, or are forced to make, and how these shape lives. The use of kennings, alliteration and evocative descriptions create a powerful background to a dramatic, immersive story which is a compelling read.

256 pages / Ages 12+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher