Silver Elite by Dani Francis is a high-octane dystopian adventure packed with action, psychic warfare, sizzling romance, and a world teetering on the edge of rebellion. It’s a thrilling start to a new adult sci-fi trilogy that blends the grit of Divergent, the emotional tension of Shatter Me, and the intensity of Fourth Wing—while carving out its own explosive identity.

Set in a brutal society divided between Primes (ordinary humans) and Mods (those with dangerous psychic abilities), Silver Elite explores a future where Mods are hunted, imprisoned, or killed for what they are. Wren, our fiercely reckless and charismatic heroine, has been hiding her powers since childhood—but a single mistake thrusts her into the heart of the enemy’s world. Mistaken for an ordinary soldier, Wren is recruited into the elite military force she once feared. But as her secrets threaten to surface, she must balance survival, subterfuge, and the rising heat between her and her commanding officer, Captain Cross Redden.

The worldbuilding is compelling, if familiar, with glowing veins, secret rebellions, and a militarized society rife with tension. The plot is fast-paced and full of drama, betrayal, and power struggles—though some twists may be predictable for seasoned readers of the genre. Still, the addictive pacing and sharp dialogue more than make up for any narrative familiarity.

Wren is a dynamic lead—flawed, funny, and unapologetically bold. Her voice shines through with biting humor and raw emotion, making her both frustrating and lovable. Cross Redden is a classic brooding commander, walking the line between ruthlessness and vulnerability, and their enemies-to-lovers arc simmers with tension. The romance leans spicy and dramatic, and while some might find the heat levels overwhelming or the circumstances slightly implausible, fans of steamy dystopian love stories will be right at home.

Silver Elite isn’t trying to reinvent the dystopian wheel—but it supercharges it with adrenaline, passion, and sharp banter. For readers craving a romance-fueled rebellion with psychic powers, high-stakes combat, and emotionally charged characters, this book delivers. Just be warned: once you dive in, you may not come up for air until the very last page.

I knew I was going to like this but I was not prepared for how much this book blew me away! The fact that the main protagonist had special mind abilities and went undercover into the military organisation dedicated to keeping people safe from those with powers, was really nerve wracking and I was very nervous for her the whole time! I liked seeing Wren making friends, and it hurt when she faced conflict and betrayals along the way, but ultimately I liked seeing Wren’s personal development throughout the story. After finishing this book, I can’t wait for more by this author!

Is this worth the hype? yess 1000%. As someone who grew up reading the mass of dystopian YA literature that had its hold on so many of us in 2010, I loved this book. It reminded me so much of Divergent and Divine Rivals.

Packed full of complex and interesting characters, as well as an enemies-to-lovers romance, this book truly had it all. Nevertheless, I did feel that the ending was a bit far fetched, with one particular part that didn’t make that much sense. However, I am so excited to read the next book when it is released, and cannot wait.

I gave this 4.75⭐️. Thank you so much NetGalley and DelRey for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel torn on this book!

I don't think this should've been marketed as dystopian, and it definitely shouldn't have been marketed as anything similar to The Hunger Games, because it's not. It doesn't dissect society or it's failings - it's far more fantasy set in the bleak future, with dystopia as an aesthetic. As a fantasy romance, this is pretty fun; I liked the magic system, even if I think it could have done with some refining. This was very predictable - literally from the first time we see "Wolf", I knew who he was going to turn out to be, and when *that thing* happens, I knew what it was going to turn out to be - but I did have fun reading this, and I'm intrigued enough at the minute to carry on with the series; whether I still will be by the time the sequel comes out, we'll see.

Overall this was a good dystopian novel, however it just wasn't for me. I enjoyed the dystopian elements but something about the romance just felt off to me, like they didn't really work together well. But I understand that for some people the romance was really enjoyable.

Trust no one… except me when I say: YOU NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.

I flew through this book in under 24 hours - I couldn’t put it down. It’s addictive, twisty, and gave me a full blown book hangover. I’m already counting down the days until the next one drops l

If early 2010s dystopia had a lovechild with 2025 New Adult romantasy - you would get Silver Elite. It’s perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Divergent who now love the intense, character-driven pace of Fourth Wing. The plot is rich with emotion and tension, and I was hooked from page one.

The world building is rich but super easy to sink into, with a brutal military academy setting that’s equal parts dangerous and delicious. The stakes are life-or-death on every page, and the cutthroat trials to join the elite team had me gasping and flipping pages like my life depended on it. The FMC is exactly my kind of girl - stabby, fierce, and absolutely ready to burn it all down if she has to.

Read if you like:

🩶 YA dystopia with NA spice
🩶 Stabby, fierce FMC
🩶 Military setting with brutal trials to join an elite team
🩶 A broody MMC with major Four/Xaden vibes
🩶 Top-tier banter

A new staple of the genre, this was an action packed, romantic, energetic adventure that will leave you thinking about it for days on end once it is finished.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me an arc of this!

I had such a fun time with this book, I loved the world, the divergent vibes were very strong and I really liked the Characters: Wren was such a strong character and I rooted for her all the way through the book. I really liked the world and whole training academy vibe I really enjoyed and it would be cool to be part of silver block. The magic system who are the Mods with psychic abilities I really liked that gave me the bone season by Samantha Shannon. The romance I really enjoyed Cross was a great Male MC and I feel there is more to hm, I really liked the enemies lovers which is my fav trope and the slow burn was great as well.

I had a fun time with this book and I will be rereading it again before book 2 comes out.
4.5 stars but upon reread might go up to a five!

Silver Elite by Dani Francis ✨

This book had me hooked from page one. Silver Elite is a thrilling blend of military danger, forbidden power, and slow-burn tension that keeps you turning pages late into the night. Dani Francis crafts a world where secrets are currency, trust is rare, and survival means playing a dangerous game.

The main character is fierce, flawed, and unforgettable—exactly the kind of heroine you want leading the charge. The story balances action, emotion, and just the right amount of romantic tension with twists and turns.

If you love stories with high stakes, hidden powers, and characters who refuse to back down, this one’s for you.

This one’s for fans of high-stakes rebellion, morally gray choices, and characters who refuse to be tamed.

📚 Would you survive the Silver Block?

I am obsessed! I couldn't stop reading - Silver Elite was absolutely brilliant. I'll be recommending it to everyone.

Fast paced, packed with action and brilliant world building, this is a must-read for Fourth Wing fans. I feel like it took lots of the things I love most about books like Fourth Wing, Divergent and the Hunger Games and combined them into something explosive and fresh.

This tale is set in a dystopian world where anyone with psychic powers is rounded up and put in a labour camp. Or imprisoned. Or shot for treason. The very best they can expect is to be tattooed and forced to work for the authorities who are busy expunging their kind. In times past – within living memory – it used to be the other way around. Those with psychic powers held sway and treated those who were unmodified as second-class citizens, so there’s a lot of hatred for those who are Modified within the general population.

Wren was raised under the radar, brought up and trained by a former top uncover agent for the rebels, as her parents were killed for being Mod agents. Not that she can remember. She’s tough, an amazing shot and skilled in armed and unarmed combat and living on a ranch with her guardian. Until it all goes sideways – due in no small part to her reckless behaviour. This mad streak of wildness is one of Wren’s defining traits and while I frequently found it annoying – at least this time around, I believed in the character.

What I found harder to believe in is the romance that ends up powering the second half of the book – which is a bit of a problem. Yes… I know it’s possible – but the whole circumstance of Wren ending up in the training programme simply didn’t ring true. Yes – by all means make her enlist – but not in a high status, elite unit which everyone else is desperate to join. And in a highly militarised organisation, Captain Redden would have had to answer to his chain of command as to Wren’s presence. Yep. I’m being picky – but I never quite got over that stumbling block which defined the enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

I also found some of the plot twists a bit predictable. I’d already guessed one reveal two-thirds through and I also had my suspicions about the revelation surrounding Wren’s parents at the end of the book. It’s reasonably well-written and while I found Wren a tad aggravating, I was mostly on her side. But the book did follow a very well-trodden path. The sex scenes were a bit too explicit for my taste and there were rather a lot of them. It’s not that I think it’s a bad book – it isn’t. It’s just that I was expecting something less driven by the romance. But if you like your dystopian sci fi setting peopled with gutsy adrenaline junkies who fall heedlessly in love despite all odds – then this one is for you. While I obtained an arc of Silver Elite from the author via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
7/10

Silver Elite, all in all, was a good dystopian. I liked the over-arching plot, although it was a bit predictable, the military aspect of the novel, and some other little things that were reminiscent of the Divergent series. However, I found the protagonist, Wren, and the romance, quite insufferable. I don’t understand why romantasy lately has become formulaic and sexual from the get-go. Can we not have a conversation, the first one maybe, without sex coming up? The relationship between Wren and Cross had no personality, no emotion, It was based only on physical attraction. It was unfortunately a miss for me.

I’ll admit, the controversy around this book put me off a bit. It’s a shame because I thought it wasn’t a bad book. I don’t honestly think it’s right wing, personally, though I might be wrong. But a lot of the things people were pointing out, I feel read completely different it context. It was honestly just a normal dystopia.

The other thing that put me off was the romance, which is just not to my taste. It was kind of dub con, though I will say that any time Wren put her foot down and explicitly said no, Cross backed off. Still if this is something that puts you off, maybe give this one a miss.

Most of the twists, I guessed ahead of time. There were only a couple at the end that I didn’t see coming to be honest. Still it was fun to read.

Honestly I think without all the drama around it, this would just be a kind of mid read that I didn’t think that much beyond the end of the story but it wasn’t a bad read by any count.

If you liked Fourth Wing, Divergent, or Throne of Glass, I think you're very likely to enjoy this book. The world building in this was really intriguing and rather captivating for what I expected. There’s so much hidden information and little secrets that leave you hanging on to every word and every breadcrumb.

Not sure about my thoughts. A good story and good characters but felt all too familiar. Given the amount of stories in this genre, I’d like something new

After a long reading slump and break, I finally finished Silver Elite, and honestly, I’m a bit torn. It’s one of those heavily flawed-but-interesting, fast-paced reads that I got through without totally hating it!

Although it’s marketed as dystopian, it felt more like a steamy military romance filled with heavy tropes and a few too many plot holes. I liked the characters and the initial premise, but as a BIPOC reader, I couldn’t overlook how the conflict was brushed aside too easily—and the way race was handled (or mostly ignored). Descriptions like “dark-skinned” and “tanned” and references to the “darklands” at this stage are all red flags for me. And then there’s the falling-for-your-oppressor trope—it just doesn’t work for me in our current climate.

The world-building also didn’t quite hit the mark. It felt a bit choppy and lacked the depth and nuance of a strong dystopian setting. There wasn’t much political or social commentary, and when it was there, it was problematic! Also, a lot of it seemed to borrow heavily from The Hunger Games, Divergent, and the Shatter Me series. Some scenes felt almost copy-pasted!
And as much as the book advertises Wren as a badass FMC, she’s nothing like Katniss, Tris, or Juliette. Instead of leading a fight against an oppressive regime, she was mostly distracted by Cross’s chiseled jawline and abs.

That said, I still binged it and kind of enjoyed it! The was some element of the story that was addictive in a guilty-pleasure kind of way. Even when I was frustrated, I kept reading, mostly because I clearly switched off my brain for much of the book (it’s exam season and I listened to it on audio).

I do think it’s perfect for the typical steamy romantasy fans but not for those looking for quality or depth. (Think Fourth Wing without the dragons rather than The Hunger Games.)

I can see this becoming very popular but I’m dubious - something’s not right.

3.5 stars to 3.8 stars??
———

Update: I’ve recently heard so much discourse about the author using a pen name, and while I usually have no issue with pseudonyms, something about the expensive/polished PR push and lack of transparency feels a little off. Fingers crossed this isn’t a problematic author or celeb from my boycott list or AI.

Also, I started it as an ARC but took a break. I came back excited to continue, but I just couldn’t climb on the bandwagon. I believe reading is very subjective (and do see why some may have loved this book), but I do think the misleading and VERY questionable PR/ Booktok hype comparing it to HG, ruined it for me. I went in with high hopes as a dystopian fan looking for something to fill the void after Sunrise on the Reaping.

This book was really badly constructed with tons of loopholes & uncertainties in the world building. The book also had subliminal right-wing messaging throughout, including anti-intellectual messaging, anti-education messaging, pro-gun agendas & a strange inclusion of the male main character supporting the death penalty. Not for me thank you!

2.75 Stars

Fast-paced fun, but lacking originality and depth.

Silver Elite delivers classic dystopian vibes with a romantasy edge—secret factions, mind powers, a rebellion, and a brooding commander–recruit dynamic that checks every box for fans of the genre. Once the plot gets going (well past the halfway mark), the story becomes engaging, especially with the high-stakes action and morally gray worldbuilding.

But the book struggles with pacing, especially early on, and many of the plot twists are predictable. The romance, while marketed as slow burn, felt more like insta-lust with forced tension. Cross’s dialogue occasionally veers into cringey territory, and Wren’s development is underwhelming. Still, the premise is strong, and there’s enough here to keep readers turning the pages—especially those craving a nostalgic dystopian fix.

Not groundbreaking, but fun if you're in the mood for something tropey and dramatic.

Did Silver Elite feel like the Hunger Games, Divergent and Fourth Wing (minus the dragons) had all been mixed in a blender? Yes.

Did I eat it up anyway? 100%.

I enjoyed the world building, the banter between the friends and the development of the side characters (Kaine in particular), and while I saw some of the twists coming (Cross being Wolf), I didn’t pick up on others (Kaine being alive/in the resistance)

I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel.

Oooo this was fun! Think Divergent meets Hunger Games meets Fourth Wing. Its got everything you need to shape up to becoming a hit. The last few chapters left me with questions on the quite sudden high levels of trust/motivations of some of the characters but this is one i would've gone straight into book 2 immediately if i could've.