everyone dystopian is back. this felt so so nostalgic and honestly completely seeing this sub genre being right and center.
this was action packed from the get go. a hint of romances, a lot of twist and some betrayal that I did not see coming

i love our mc, although naive at time she just trying to survive. the romance was swoon worthy. but the CLIFFHANGER? EXCUSE ME. I can't wait for book 2.
the plot and chapters were fast pace making this a binge worthy debut.

thank you del rey uk books and netgalley for the arc.

This one completely surprised me, I absolutely loved this!!

This was my first ever dystopian read & this has convinced me that I need to read more. It flows Wren who is modified (someone with gifts due to biotoxin) & she has spent her live hiding from the primes. The modified are hunted by the company. After a certain event that draws attention to her she is taken captive by the company and recruited to become of their silver elite soliders .

It so fast paced & engaging from page one, the dialogue and the writing absolutely grips you so you never want to put it down!! It’s the kind of book that makes you forget you are reading.

I loved Wren, she was stubborn but fierce & the perfect mix of confident and cocky.

Cross the MMC, has definitely made his way onto my book boyfriend list. The tension & romance between the two was everything. I was giddy, giggling and kicking my feet at the two of them. This man would do anything for her & is down bad for his girl!!

The ending?!?!! I need book two ASAP

If you are dystopian fan I think this will be the read for you, think hunger games meets fourth wing.

Silver Elite is a new dystopian obsession. I absolutely inhaled this book. I loved it so much that I actually don’t know what to write. I would compare it to Divergent and Forth Wing in terms of its addictive nature, the training scenes and brutal regimes. Whilst there may not be dragons there is a call for trying to make it into an elite group, this means plenty of competition and drama.
The FMC is hiding her powers and a force to be reckoned with, very much a Tris character. Then the MMC is cocky and powerful, making me think of Four and Xaden. There are also plenty of side characters that develop well and create that found family trope.
Overall the balance between the romance and action was perfect for me. This is what I want in a romantasy. The world-building is interesting with the divided population and rebels. So both the romance and the fantasy hold up without the other.
For sheer enjoyment factor this book is an easy 5/5, the characters are 5/5 and the plot is a 4/5. This is only because I felt it was slightly predictable at times, but I also was very happy that this was following my predictions making it feel like a nostalgic experience even though it was my first read. I think this will be a favourite series to rival my loved Divergent and Hunger Games.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

2025 is really becoming the return of the Dystopian books! Silver Elite is perfect for fans of Divergent and the recent Fable For The End Of The World. It's set in a dystopian world where people affected by radiation have got powers such as telepathy, projection, healing, mind reading and even mind control. Not everyone has the same skills but most have a tell-tale sign of Silver veins when using their abilities.

Our protagonist Wren, has multiple abilities but also no tell-tale sign of Silver veins. This allows her more freedom to fly under the radar and wow does this come in handy! We follow Wren as she navigates training for Silver block, the companies intelligence department with a smaller subteam named Silver Elite who specialise in covert ops. The story is fast paced and cinematic, Francis' writing style is fantastic and keeps the reader focused and entertained.

There's a large cast of characters but all are memorable and stand out which can be rare for quite a large number of side characters. I didnt struggle to remember who was who, which makes a nice change!

I still have lots of questions but mainly on the larger aspects of the world but I suspect we'll find out more in the sequel, and I will definitely be picking it up!

Thanks to Del Rey & Netgalley for this arc!

*whispers* what the duck was that?! what do you mean? how long do i have to wait for book 2? Dani?! hello?! help me! please...

Well, that was intense. I LOVED this. It took me so much longer to get through than it should have but that is entirely on me and not the book. The atmosphere, the characters, the writing, the intensity, I literally loved all of it. I adore Wren and Cross. I also adore Kaine. But I'm so so on the fence about where we go from here. I feel like we (Wren and us) cannot trust anyone and I literally need book 2 like yesterday. I can't believe I'm going to have to wait to find out what's next.

The early reviews for this have been GLOWING and for good reason. This is how you do yearning and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers. I'm OBSESSED!

Thank you to Del Rey for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

Headlines:
Dystopian romance
Academy vibes
Exciting world
Forbidden connections

Silver Elite felt like a fresh concept but with the kind of romantic connections that have the potential for some serious hype when reading. This story was fast-paced but not too fast, the dystopian world was exciting, easy to understand with sides that were clear then less so as time went on.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the whole context of the story was the covert nature of the FMC Wren's situation. She had to hide who she was, her gifts being outlawed and of course, she was special. Pitched as her superior was Cross, who was sceptical of Wren's motives, associations and family history. That family history had me very curious and needy to know more. By the end of the story, I feel even more needy for more about Wren's parents.

I am a complete sucker for an academy/training situation. There were lots of thrills and twists along the way that kept me turning those pages avidly. The plot was pretty bloodthirsty and I never knew who would be at risk next.

Both the general plot and the romance felt somewhat angsty and I wasn't sorry about that. The foreshadowing about the two telepaths was pretty easy to guess but this didn't spoil my enjoyment, in fact, I loved that reveal when it came. The final twists in this installment ensure readership as soon as the next story drops.

This is a great new book on the block and I'm excited for others to read this.

Thank you to Delrey UK for the review copy.

If you’re looking for a book nostalgic of the popular dystopian book era, then you might like this. This felt very reminiscent of Divergent. However, I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re expecting something new and original within the dystopian genre.

Let’s start with what I did like.

The pacing was fast and the plot was addictive and entertaining most of the time so I did speed through this book. I did enjoy the different trials that were thrown at the soldier recruits. The dystopian setting was easy for me to immerse myself in. Despite me enjoying most of the plot, the last 50 pages was too messy for me to even enjoy.

However, It was fascinating seeing the exploration of the power imbalance between Primes and Mods and the oppression that both types of people have experienced in this dystopian world. I would have liked more discussion on the oppression.

Now onto what I didn’t like.

To be honest, I felt no connection with either the FMC or MMC as a couple or as individuals. The FMC was a lot more tolerable for me though. She is Modified and very overpowered. I was impressed with her cleverness at times but other times she was extremely reckless so I couldn’t help but burst out laughing from the whiplash of her acting reckless one moment and then clever in the next moment.

The romance was definitely not for me at all. There was a lot of lusting and spice but barely any emotional connection or development and I personally prefer more emotional depth in romances before even getting to the spice.

Did I cringe at the interactions between the FMC and MMC? Honestly, yes, quite a lot. But I think the plot made up for my lack of enjoyment with the romance. Be prepared for MANY descriptions of how insanely hot the enemy captain is. And yeah, I get it girl, he’s insanely hot. But what else is there? His brooding and yet compassionate personality underneath doesn’t really stand out among other MMCs. I was hoping for more depth on the dynamic between the FMC and MMC.

There were a few more issues I had that were not romance-related but they are quite spoilery so I won’t go into those issues. Overall, this was a disappointing read but to be honest, I don’t regret giving this book a try.

3.5 stars
Content warning: magical manipulation, death, public execution, enforced imprisonment, murder, torture, sexual harassment and abuse, injury detail

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

Initially, this story did not appeal to me and I almost DNF'd it. I struggled to find any footing with Wren as the main protagonist. This sadly continued to be one of the negative parts of this story and is one of the main reasons I didn't give this a higher star rating. Because once I was settled into the storyline, it was quite hard to put the book down. I don't have a lot of experience with dystopian reads - it's an area of sci-fi fantasy that I don't tip into on the regular, which I sometimes see as a good thing, and worked for this story. I liked the world-building and the authoritarian governed society. The restraints and dissent between Primes and Mods was interesting, and I was equal parts invested in the rebellion against the government as I was in the military base where Wren was forced into applying for Silver Block and then Silver Elite. The relationships that Wren makes with those around her are mostly interesting, even if she remained unlikeable and really messy throughout. The trajectory and pressure mounting as Wren rode the middle line of both worlds was well done though, and I am invested enough in the story to continue, thanks to some core supporting characters and plot twists.

However, as I mentioned, Wren was not the FMC for me. I personally don't like the over-assured "I know I'm better than everyone else here" types, and Wren, for all the consequences in the world, continued to make the most ridiculously exasperating decisions. She never learned how her actions could affect other people, and even when friends and colleagues around her started dropping off, she never wizened up. Some may see her lack of conformity as a strength in a world setting like this, and I can respect in some instances it worked. But I grew tired of her antics and some of her choices were so bizarrely stupid. This meant that the entire romance portion of the read felt less than stellar. Cross didn't feel like a fully fleshed male protagonist all the time. His baser needs interfered with the genuine character development he had, and there were many lines delivered that I rolled my eyes at. Had he been paired with anyone else, I might have enjoyed him a lot more, and the other main male character, and even Cross' best friend, ended up being more interesting than he was to me. The romance was very beige and constant, with a very predictable outcome from the beginning. Had the focus not been on how many times they could have sex or how he was the son of the enemy, and more on the actual interesting storyline, I would have easily given this a higher rating.

It is so conflicting to say I enjoyed this, because I did, and it was hard to put down at times, but equally wish for so much more than what was delivered upon. I'm hoping that where this story ended will lead to more in the sequel to enjoy.

4.5 stars
thank you, Penguin Random House, for an e-arc of this debut series.

this was sold to me as Forth Wing meets Hunger Games, and that was right on the money. It gives military training, hidden powers, and slow burn banter. Silver Elite gives more distopian than fantasy, but the dynamics between Wren and the commanding officer Cross is proper enemy to lover vibes. If I had to add one more comparison into the mix, it would be Stephanie Meyers' Host. Having two people so intrinsically set against each other but needing to build trust to survive.

The only reason I didn't give five stars was because after the initial introduction, it just felt a little info dumpy. there was a lot to set up, but once the fundamentals were done, the story just took me away. I enjoyed the powers of the modified population and how they present.

I devoured the book and am fuming that I'm going to have to wait for book two. I loved the realistic characteristics of Wren, our main character, who is an orphan brought up in hiding. Even when making bad choices you appreciate it makes sense for her at that point. I think Cross is a future book boyfriend for this generation. As an older reader, I did age up the characters everso slightly, but they weren't ridiculously young and had an appropriate age gap which I appreciate.

recommend.

I loved this book so so much!! I knew from the start that it was going be amazing because I was hooked in right away! I felt like I was 14 again reading my favourite dystopian series and I am obsessed.

I thought the writing style was so easy to read and I loved how we found ourselves straight into the action and learnt things about the world as the book went along.

I absolutely loved Wren as an FMC, I thought she was so badass despite all she had been through. She had to be very clever and determined through all the challenges she faced throughout the course of the book.

Cross was the perfect balance of grumpy and scary to begin with, but then when he turns out to be SO obsessed with Wren, it had me giddy when I was reading! I loved how their relationship developed and was sort of like a forbidden love because it made it so exciting!!

I cannot wait to read the next one, as the plot twists and reveals towards the end of the book had my jaw on the floor! I’m so hooked and could not get enough of the characters. I thought the world was so unique and I loved reading about all the training exercises they had to go through.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for granting me access to read this ARC! It was absolutely amazing and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

This is the best book that I've read in about 2 years.

That's how much I loved it.
I stayed up way too late to read it, or should that be devouring this book?

Full of plot, romanace, chemistry, friendships, and tension.

The world-building is second to none, and the details that the author has included are just 👌.

It's not often that a book can make me forget that I'm reading - but this book did just that.

The characters are well developed. There are the ones that you are cheering on from the sidelines, the ones that you hate with a passion and the ones that just completely blindside you.

The main characters, though! Wren and Cross. I don't know what to say about them. They are so real. You're with Wren every step of the way. She's headstrong, sarcastic, and reckless - and she knows what her flaws are. She is so self- aware. She struggles with the world that she unwittingly finds herself in and is confused with the friendships that she is developing.
Cross can't help but be drawn towards Wren, and he tries so hard to fight it . He is her commanding officer, and he absolutely DOES NOT fratenise with recruits.
Until Wren, that is. She really does get under his skin.
Their relationship develops at a believable pace, and the tension between them is palpable, but it's so much deeper than just attraction.

I did see one of the plot twists coming a mile off, but not in a bad way. It took a bloody long time to be revealed, and the way that it happened had me grinning and exclaiming to the point that my husband stopped what he was doing to ask about what I was reading.
THIS NEVER HAPPENS.

This is such a strong start to the series, and I can not wait to see what the author has in store for us in the next book.

I will be first in the queue when this book is released next month and eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

Not sure loved is a strong enough word for this.

I was hooked right from the very start, the pacing is perfect, the characters are well written, and every time I thought I had everything worked out, another plot twist sent me spiralling, and the ending had me sat staring at the wall for a solid ten minutes. I cannot recommend this book enough! I was utterly obsessed with Cross from the moment he stepped onto the page. And I am begging for a sequel asap please!

I've seen so much hype for this book and the ratings are high but it didn't have the wow factor for me, which sadly seems to be the trend for my most anticipated reads this year! The magic system was really interesting and the idea behind the plot had a lot of potential. It was also great to see Wren making friends and bridging this gap she's had between Mods and Primes - even if she's hiding who she is. I liked the side characters, particularly those who Wren befriended amongst the candidates. Cross was intriguing and I think it would have been good to know more about him and his motivations. The romance between him and Wren didn't hit right for me. I could completely see what the author was attempting here, with but it wasn't executed right for me. I didn't really feel their connection and the chemistry wasn't quite there, which meant the confident and forbidden mmc thing fell flat for me. I also found the book to be really long with not much progress being made in the plot for the majority of the story. My biggest bug bear were the illogical and out of character decisions and plot points that the author wove into the book. For Wren's character, in particular, who is far to savvy to be making such obvious mistakes. It left me incredibly frustrated and disappointed.

So, overall, there were a few strengths in this book but the pitfalls really overshadowed them and I can't see myself continuing with the series.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

4.5⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Okay this book reminded me of how I felt the first time I read Divergent. Excited, Heart Pounding, Wanting More, and still reeling from the plot twists. That’s exactly how it felt with this book!!

This was such a good dystopian fantasy book!! It’s really brought back the genre in all its glory!!

We have an FMC who goes through something heartbreaking in the beginning and has to start a new sort of life dealing with her ‘enemies’. Wren was such a ‘don’t take nonsense go getter’ girl from the start! I loved her character even though she may not have made the brightest decisions but with everything she was dealing with, she fought throughout for what she believed was right. The author made her such a badass FMC which was very appealing to the plot especially when you get to see the extent of her powers and the skills she has!

And then we have Cross Redden!!! Y’all this man!!! This man was everything and more! He was the grumpy, stoic yet devastatingly handsome commanding officer which had a soft side for those he really really held close and loved! The tension between him and Wren was so thick that I’m surprised no one else noticed but us ofc🤭. Like that man was obsessed with her from the beginning, in more ways than one👀.

There was a lot of relationship dynamics that we experienced during this book. A lot of complicated ones where you don’t know if you love them or hate them just as bad!

And the plot twists!!! The plot twists kept plot twisting at 80% of the book!! Like I had to drop my kindle at one point because the plot twist literally slapped you in the face but in a good way!! I loved the use of psychic abilities used in this, and the plot is solid that it makes you just want to know what the outcome will be!! It makes you want to pick a side but personally, I started going back and forth of which side truly is the real villain in this story😭😭!

I have so much to say but I fear if I delve deeper I might spoil for future readers!! But anyway everyone needs to read this book!! It’s going to be so fun debating which side everyone is on as the story expands!!

Big thanks to DelyreyUK & Dani Francis for the arc!! I really enjoyed this book.☺️☺️

It's been a while since I dove into a dystopian novel, but Silver Elite absolutely blew me away—I was hooked from the very first page and completely obsessed!

I couldn’t get enough of the angst, the sharp banter, and the complex web of relationships and politics woven throughout the story. Watching the characters clash and connect—whether as allies or enemies—was incredibly entertaining. So many moments had me on the edge of my seat, and I found myself constantly thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it.

While some parts of the romance and one of the twists were a bit predictable, it didn’t take away from the experience at all. The tension was still very real, and I felt every bit of it.

The setting was another standout for me—the mix of military training and political intrigue created such a vivid and compelling backdrop. I’m so excited to see where the story goes next!

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this eARC to review.

What a story! Think hunger games meets divergent level of politics, but with a slow burn, enemies to lovers plot. Chef’s kiss.

There were so many layers to this story: the story of Wren and her identity as a Modified, Silverblood telepath; the history of the war between the Mods and the Primes; the politics; friendships; military world building; relationships. I live for a well-written dystopian fiction, and Silver Elite is just that. The plot was super easy to follow, and any twists and turns I genuinely didn’t see coming!

I thoroughly enjoyed Wren’s story and found her character so relatable. Sarcastic, quick-witted, loyal, driven and stubborn. I also loved the character of Cross. Their interactions throughout were written beautifully, so much so that I’d even argue there’s a bit of fated mates coming through here. The slow burn was enough to drive you crazy, but when it was burning it was HOT.

I cannot wait for more people to read about Wren, Cross, Kaine, Lyddie and Ford. I cannot wait to have someone to gush over this book with! And god help me waiting for a sequel! Quite possibly the best dystopian release of the year!

Dystopian fantasy fiction to revel in. This one is definitely for adults. I was reminded of so many good books in this genre as I read. This is a good one too. Hidden powers, twists to thrill and shock, physical attraction and romance, an evil regime to subjugate or to overthrow. There is one big twist that I saw coming, but it was interesting to see when and how it would be revealed. Two more books to come, so you can imagine there is a cliff hanger ending. I look forward to reading them, hopefully in the bear future. Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I would give this 10 stars if I could. I am loving the dystopian resurgence and this does not disappoint.

Set In a dystopian version of our world where a biological weapon has mutated some for he human population into have having mental powers and are now hinted by the ‘primes’ unmutated humans. A truly bleak and terrifying distortion authoritarian world is created in this story.

Enemies to lovers but he doesn’t know she’s the enemy. Wren and Cross's relationship is steamy perfection. The twists and turns this book takes have me counting the days already to book 2.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4

After an initially very shaky start where I genuinely considered not continuing the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself pretty hooked on the story by chapter four. The dystopian setting does feel like an amalgamation of so many others that have come before it (it kinda feels like District 13 took over Panem, or Erudite are in control in Divergent, with added magical powers), and FMC Wren is at times unlikeable and frustrating, as well as being "super special and gifted" BUT the story was compelling and felt high stakes enough to keep me interested. While the romance was incredibly predictable, it was still fun to read - although I could have done with a little less lusting after each other and a bit more character development. The falling for each other felt a bit too fast, even after certain things come to light. and I predicted pretty much every twist! All in all, an entertaining popcorn read of a book and perfect if you read The Hunger Games and wanted it to focus more on the romance instead of the rebellion. Will I pick up the sequel? I won't rush to read it, but probably!

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Silver Elite was a great read! I really enjoyed this dystopian world I was thrown into; the world building is honestly effortless. It never felt like it was info-dumping, and while in the first few chapters I felt a little lost, I quickly caught up.

It was maybe a bit spicy for my own liking, but I think a lot of people will really vibe with this! The plot was fantastic, fast paced, and the last 20% was so stressful that I binged through them in a single evening! This was addictive and I look forward to the sequel.