Book Reviews: The Strength of Samson by Tyler Kraft

Greetings, 

This is a review of The Strength of Samson, a debut novel from Tyler Kraft. It was released on June 27th, 2025. I was given the opportunity to be a part of his Advanced Reader Team. I have chosen to review this book, and all of these words are my own. 

See you in The Pages, 

M.J.E.

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Overall Description:

The only thing more powerful than Samson’s supernatural strength is his desire to escape the pressure of being Israel’s savior. Marked from birth by God to free his nation from the oppression of the Philistines, Samson is repeatedly overwhelmed by other people’s expectations. This relentless pressure drives him to a life of breathtaking contradictions as he seeks to find comfort in the arms of his enemies.

Torn between his divine destiny and human passions, Samson tries to remain faithful to God. But as moments of weakness become a way of life, an ultimate betrayal robs him of his strength and threatens to end his divine mission once and for all. Samson must rediscover his true strength if he hopes to reclaim his God-given destiny and finally tear down the foundations of Philistine tyranny.

My Review of the Book:

Tyler Kraft’s debut novel, The Strength of Samson, was a joy to read and opens us up to the legendary story of Israel’s fierce judge to reveal a man torn between the calling placed upon him by God and human longing. This is a fresh yet faithful retelling that invites the reader to rediscover a familiar story. From the opening chapter, where we glimpse his divine purpose and imagine the struggles he may have faced as a child, to the redemptive finale rooted in scripture, Kraft’s vivid reimagining of this familiar story took me in. There are times when I pick up a book and wonder what I’m going to think once I’ve started reading it, and The Strength of Samson did not disappoint by any means. Rather than bending scripture to fit a modern lens, Kraft exercises remarkable restraint and creativity, sketching thoughtful possibilities within its sacred framework. When it comes to the Biblical Fiction genre, I hope to always see something that is well written and that echoes the scriptures. I was quite impressed with how Kraft weaved this story around the account of Samson in Judges 13-16. The fictional aspects of this story are plausible and kept me more than entertained. One of my favorite aspects of the story was the relationships that the author developed between Samson and his family. To be honest, I’d never given much thought to that part of Samson’s story until now. There were several occasions where I honestly started to understand more about who Samson was and the way he could have perceived the world around him. What surprised me most is how Kraft turns a tale usually framed as betrayal and downfall into something redemptive and human. Kraft weaves a quiet poetry through the narrative, and it resonated with me more deeply than I expected. Where I once saw just a man of massive strength and arrogance, I now see a more human idea. As a child, I always thought of this story as if Samson were some kind of superhero, and Kraft has changed my point of view on this. It is a fantastic exploration of the humanity behind Samson’s story. I am excited to see where Tyler Kraft takes us in his next novel, and I am encouraged by the creative talent he exhibits through this story. There are so many opportunities to learn from scripture through Biblical Fiction, and this author is one of the few who have captured what I’m looking for when I am reading this genre. I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book and chose to leave this review. My words are my own and well-deserved. Fans of scripture-based storytelling will find this story a beautiful blend of drama, poetic insight, and history coming alive. I’ll be returning to these pages, and to Samson’s story, again and again.