SOMEBODY SEDATE ME. Silver Elite was the dystopian fantasy of my dreams. It was the perfect bingeable mixture of immersive storytelling, forbidden romance and secret powers. If you aren’t a fan of love triangles do not despair- the tension was **chef’s kiss** off the charts and the payoff was so worth it. My only complaint is that Wren gave off “not like other girls” vibes, but she made up for it in other ways so I can’t fault her. I would recommend this book to fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent and Red Queen.

Silver Elite reignited my love for a genre I have struggled with recently. I will be foaming at the mouth and chewing at the bars of my enclosure until I have the next book in my hands.

What I loved

* academy setting
* enemies to lovers
* dystopian/sci-fi
* secret identities

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

I'm all for books that bring nostalgia if it contains its own uniqueness. This book did not. Usually with books, you enjoy the plot, romance, or both. I didn't enjoy neither. Again, the plot was too similar to other books and didn't contain its own uniqueness. The romance was too lust-filled. I need a slow burn- build on the angst, tension, and yearning. The lust was coming right at you in the beginning of the book and throughout. The MMC and FMC relationship was built solely on lust. Despite my issues with the book, I did; however, enjoy the friendships formed. I also feel that book 2 could potentially be more interesting.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC! I enjoyed this book until the last 5 chapters. It was easy to visualize and it seemed like it would make a fun movie. While there’s a lot that will be familiar to dystopian readers, the characters were well developed and the world building was good. I wasn’t entirely sure what the main characters saw in each other, but it wasn’t an insta-love or implausible situation either. The side characters were interesting. There was too much blind trust involved in her espionage work, though.

The catalyst for the end of the book, and where everything unraveled from my perspective, was a supremely stupid move by the FMC that didn’t need to be made (could have just told him the truth), and wouldn’t have occurred had she experienced any personal growth whatsoever. The MMC seemed to share the sentiment. Lots of absurd lying ensued which nobody believed. It was chaotic and changed the trajectory of the story in a way that didn’t fit with the 50 preceding chapters. At the very end was my least favorite trope and I didn’t even care.

It was enough that I don’t plan to read on. Had I been rating only the last few chapters, it would be lower, but it was an easy and engaging read up to that point.

I’m speechless. I haven’t felt this way after a book in a very, very long time. Dani Francis, I could kiss you ❤️

I think this book is a great addition to the romantasy trend! There was more action and focus on the main character than some others which I liked. It definitely left me wanting to read the next book!

I enjoyed the plot of this book. I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. It was, however, incredibly predictable. The one thing I didn't see coming was the identity of Gray! (who like, thank god is who he is) But Wolf's identity was pretty obvious from the start. I mostly just wanted to keep reading to figure out how she was going to figure it out.
I enjoyed the story, the writing was ok, I'd maybe read the second book.

Thank you Dani Francis, NetGalley, any everyone who made possible for us to get an Arc.

⚠️I’m not a native English speaker⚠️

Sadly I’ve messed up the deadline to end reading “Silver Elite”, but one thing I think is very important is that I really appreciated the WAY the book was written. As my first language isn’t English, reading a whole book can be tiring and it requires some effort and patience, despite that, the sentences used by the author were posed in a way that made the reading experience the same as reading in my native tongue.

I’m not a big fan of 🌶️ but in this case I even appreciated it.
When I heard about it being somehow similar to Divergent and Hunger Games I was very curious and I definitely enjoyed it!

When, at the beginning of May will be published I’ll get the book, I’m still so mad at myself for not having read the end of it!

A book that pairs everything readers loved from the 2010s Dystopian era, with everything we love about current romantasy books, Silver Elite is a new spicy Dystopian adult romance that you will instantly fall in love with! I read this book in 24 hours and could not put it down. Francis has left readers needing book two and falling back in love with Dystopian fiction!

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

I can’t tell you how many times while reading this book I was thinking the following things:

1) I wish I knew someone else who was reading this book so I could talk about it with them
2) This would make a great movie!

This is Dani Francis’ first novel and it is phenomenal! It has everything I need in a book! Action, suspense, great characters and a good amount of 🌶️! This book will be published on May 6th and I can’t wait until it hits the shelves so I can discuss it with some of my book buddies! To say that I was obsessed while reading this book would be an understatement!

Thank you to @authordanifrancis @delreybooks and @netgalley for a digital ARC copy of this book!

This has all the makings of the next big adventure romance book! It was like divergent had a baby with the hunger games, making this beautiful spicy love child. The potential for this dystopian series seems endless and it left itself on such a huge cliffhanger, OMG. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for the next one. Wren and Cross are adorable. I don't want to give much away, because it would be a disservice to the reader to know much about these characters. Wren is such a strong character and I feel like there is still so much we don't know about her at the end of the book that hopefully will be revealed in the next. That ending though!!! GASP. Cross is such a teddy bear and it was adorable to see wren wiggle her way into all of the situations that she did. You have a hit on your hands Dani Francis!

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

let me start off by saying this was an excellent debut novel that i will for sure be recommending for purchase at my library. the writing is engaging and easily understandable. the characters feel real and don’t fall into common “romantasy” tropes. wren is a complex and strong female lead. these are all things that i believe will make silver elite a booktok (and thus, a public library) slam dunk. however, my personal issue with it is simply that it feels a little overdone—and i don’t think that’s necessarily the author’s fault. it’s hard to do original dystopian work because there are so many of them out there. there were moments that caught me by complete surprise and moments that i found myself reliving scenes from dystopian heavy hitters, like divergent and the hunger games. all of that being said, despite the brief moments of predictability, this was a fun read and i’m looking forward to book two. and i may have just pre-ordered a copy for my personal library…

Rating 3.75 stars rounded up to 4
Spice 🌶️🌶️

Dani Francis' debut novel, Silver Elite, offers a compelling entry into the dystopian genre, with a gripping story that centers on Wren, a 20-year-old “modified” woman with powers in a world where such individuals are hunted down, sentenced to death, or forced into slave labor. Wren infiltrates an academy for the soldiers of the Company, the oppressive regime, in hopes of aiding the Uprising— the rebellion against the forces that oppress the Modified.

For a debut novel, Silver Elite is an impressive achievement. The author did an amazing job writing an immersive, easy to follow story that flows smoothly, pulling the reader in from the start. The world-building is well executed, and I really enjoyed the world that Francis created

One of the novel’s strongest themes is its exploration of prejudice, division, and the idea that even in times of great conflict, people on both sides of a struggle can possess both good and bad qualities. Francis successfully conveys the complexity of human nature, highlighting that the world is rarely as black and white as it seems. The novel serves as a reminder that we often choose sides not based on inherent goodness, but rather on the injustices we are forced to face. This theme is familiar within dystopian literature, but the author does a fine job of addressing it with nuance and depth.

The romance in Silver Elite is another standout feature. The chemistry between Wren and Cross is palpable, and the spicy scenes are well-written, adding a layer of intimacy to the story without overshadowing its larger themes.

However, while Silver Elite delivers a solid reading experience, it isn’t without its flaws. One of the main issues for me is its lack of originality. I see how Francis tried to put their own spin on things but, in my opinion, it felt way too reminiscent to the Shatter Me series. Although the story was easy to follow and addictive, I figured out the big reveal almost immediately and found myself really just wanting to get to the part where the reveal finally happens. Which it did.

Despite the predictability, Silver Elite is still a very enjoyable read. The character growth is strong, and the romance is engaging. The writing is immersive, and the themes of prejudice, conflict, and identity are well explored. Ultimately, while the novel could have benefited from more originality, it is still an impressive debut and an enjoyable addition to the dystopian genre.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

If you’re looking for an adult version of Divergent, this is it! I wanted to love this book more, and I can definitely see it becoming a hit on TikTok. However, I felt the characters needed more development, and the ending fell a bit flat for me.

Silver Elite is definitely a book that is reminiscent of the 2010 YA Dystopian Era, however, it falls flat compared to its predecessors in terms of messaging and world building.

This book evidently pulls from multiple tropes, storylines, and character archetypes from other books. It is not original, but also doesn’t claim to be. The main love interest, Cross, is an especially common character archetype and him and his personality is hard to distinguish from other love interests in novels of the same genre.

While the main character, Wren, has a similar archetype to other protagonists, I found her struggles and thoughts relatable. The other characters are largely one-dimensional.

Overall, this book was middling in terms of quality for me, but it excelled in entertainment.

This book felt like Divergent meeting Red Queen! Which I loved the premise of, and found the main character to be super likeable. The narrative kept me engaged throughout the majority of the book, with only slight pacing issues right at the start.
I’d rate this book 3 stars purely as I feel i’ve read a lot of these ideas before, however that’s probably because of my intense YA dystopian phase in 2014.

I think anyone who loves romantasy and grew up reading dystopian books would love this!

"𝒯𝑒𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒻𝒾𝑒𝒹 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉?"

"𝒪𝒻 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐼 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊." 𝐻𝒾𝓈 𝑔𝒶𝓏𝑒 𝓈𝑒𝑒𝓀𝓈 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑒, 𝒽𝑜𝓁𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓂𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓅𝓉𝒾𝓋𝑒. "𝒴𝑜𝓊'𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝓈𝑜𝓊𝓁, 𝒲𝓇𝑒𝓃. 𝐼 𝓉𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝒷𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻𝑒𝑒𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒾𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝒸𝒽𝑒𝓈𝓉."

I simply do not have words. I finished this last night and couldn't sleep because all I can think about is WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN??? I think I know exactly where this is going and I couldn't be more excited about it.. I need book 2 right now.

This may seem like your typical dystopian/fantasy/romance, and parts of it is, with subtle inspirations from Hunger Games + Divergent at times, but it 100% has its own identity. The world building is easy to follow, yet unique, and our FMC, while having your typical orphaned background, is somehow able to be fierce, strong, and unique, and unlike any other POV I've ever read before. Wren Darlington is Modified in a world where Mods are either made loyalists, enslaved, or killed. She finds herself in a situation where she's stuck in enemy territory with no allies and no one to help her, so she must survive and do what it takes to prevent them from finding out that she's Modified, a special one at that.

What I loved about this book was the mystery, there are so many things we still don't understand about Wren and her powers, and the world as well, and I had the best time reading and finding these little breadcrumbs about the world. The main romantic interest is perfect, he's dark and brooding at times, but lights up when he's around Wren, and the slow burn was PERFECT. I cannot wait until this book fully releases so I can go buy a physical copy and re-read it immediately. This is going to be the new staple in dystopian novels, and I could see this being as big as Divergent. I also sincerely hope this gets picked up for a movie/tv series, that would be insane. The last page of this book had me screaming, we get so much information and NO WAY to process it until book 2 comes out.

Please do yourself a favor and read this book. This is for fans of Divergent, fantasy romance, and anyone who enjoys a strong, intelligent FMC, who just so happens to be falling in love with her biggest enemy (sort of).

10,000 ⭐ out of 10

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ♥

Thank you so much for an early earc of Silver Elite! I loved this book! It was so fast paced, and I am so happy to read a dystopian book again. I hope that is a continuing trend. This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter, and I was intrigued throughout the book. I found it to be really fast paced and a quick read. Some of it was a little predictable but even so the reveals were still exciting and fun to read. I loved the characters and the growth they had as the book progressed. I'm so excited to read the next book. Wren was a great character, and I loved following her journey. The academy setting was really well done and just all around I enjoyed this book.

In a dystopian world, Wren belongs to a minority of people with the ability to communicate telepathically. But this skill is feared among the rest of the population and is therefore punishable by death. Through a series of unfortunate events, Wren ends up in an elite training program, and is destined to hunt down people like herself.

I really liked the world this story is set in. It's not something completely new, but there are quite a few aspects to it which I haven't seen before. Especially the part of the story that deals with the fight against the oppressive regime and the morally gray areas one has to navigate in order to bring it down, did it for me. Nothing bad can be said about Dani Francis' writing style either. It felt fresh and dynamic, which was most evident in the early interactions between Wren and Cross. Speaking of which; this relationship the biggest weak point I found in the book. While their relationship was exciting in the beginning, after a while it started to feel a bit repetitive and boring. It kind of stagnated and it never struck me as if they had any real feelings for each other. There is also one (supposed to be) big plot twist, which in my opinion is pretty obvious. While it didn't ruin the book for me, some might find it annoying, having to wait for so long, for it to be revealed.

But, as I said before, I believe this to be a great book and the start of what could become a fabulous series. Therefore I can only recommend it to anyone, whose interest is grabbed by the book's description.

4.5 Stars, SJ, Romance Junkies

SILVER ELITE is a fantastic addition to the dark fantasy romance genre, with the enemies to lovers and academy tropes doing great service to the conflict in the book. But the main thrust of the story, having a special young woman doing her best to survive, "hidden" in the midst of the enemy, gives the book its real depth, watching how Wren hides her abilities while doing her best to get in tight with the enemy. I liked that the author made her a distinct voice, in that Wren is headstrong yet loyal. She doesn't always make the best decisions, but she was pretty consistent throughout the book. I didn't exactly agree with some of the choices she made toward the end, which seemed to go against her character, but that also might be because I got so invested in the story I was upset about her path. Still, the building romance and sensual tension in the story is stellar, and the side characters have real presence.

For an outstanding dark, magical romance filled with intrigue, danger, adventure, and mystery, don't miss SILVER ELITE by Dani Francis. My biggest complaint is that the next book isn't out yet!!!!

This book has quickly climbed to one of my favourite reads of the year so far. Wow!

In a dystopian future, the Continent is divided into two; Primes and Mods, and to be Modified is a crime. Due to extreme circumstances, Wren, a powerful Mod, is forced to join the Continents elite military Silver Block. Wren sees this as an opportunity to help the rebel Uprising.

I loved everything about Silver Elite. The world is dystopian, brutal, and harsh, but also so richly described I felt I was right there with Wren. An austere military dictatorship with total control of its citizens, the politics of the Continent, and subsequent rebellion kept me hooked every page.
I had so much fun with the academic/college setting, and the dynamic between Wren and the side characters was so well done. There was witty banter, inappropriate flirting, and lots of action!

Wren’s commanding officer Cross Redden is determined to uncover her secrets, but there is an undeniable attraction between them. When telling the truth could mean death, how much can they trust one another?

The romance was just amazing. I loved every minute shared between Wren and Cross. It was a perfect balance of banter, flirtation, friendship and heartfelt moments.

I honestly could not get enough of this book! As a first in a trilogy, there is a perfect setup for more adventure and secrets to be revealed in book two. I will be eagerly waiting for the next book, I can’t wait to see where the story goes.

Thank you Random House Worlds and Netgalley for this ARC