4.25 stars!

Silver Elite was such a fun read, and I was a big fan of Wren’s from the beginning. She’s impulsive and headstrong and she doesn’t always make the right call. But her heart is in the right place and she does what she does for the right reasons.

I’m completely obsessed with Kaine who is a shameless, relentless flirt. He’s such a lovable supporting character and he makes things fun for Wren along the way.

Cross is Wren’s commanding officer who is stern and of course, super attractive. From the time they meet at the beginning of the book, you can see the sparks flying.

I think it’s really interesting that as readers, we’re sympathetic to Wren’s side, but as the book continues, we get to see that both sides have done, and are doing, some pretty messed up things to further their goals.

This was a really enjoyable dystopian read, and I can't wait for book two! If you're a big dystopia fan and if, like me, you've never gotten over The Hunger Games, you'll want to read this!

Thank you to Del Rey at Penguin Random House for the gifted e-arc!

Thank you to the publisher for an arc!
I received an eArc of this a while back and didn't think anything of it, until it started getting a lot of hype online.
Great for fans of Divergent or the Hunger Games, Silver Elite is set in a dystopian world where the Primes are the rulers and the Mods are forbidden. Our FMC, Wren, is a Mod in hiding with a special set of skills. She finds herself training at the enemy's program under our broody and mysterious MMC, Cross. This enemies to lovers starts out very faced paced with lots of action and twists.
Unfortunately, I felt like the action dipped around 75% and never truly picked back up, despite all the twists and turns at the end. The included tropes are enemies to lovers, hidden identities, training and trials, and a unique world. The does have explicit scenes, but I would rate it a medium spice level. Personally, I do feel Silver Elite is being overhyped. But it was a good time!

Silver Elite fucking ate. No crumbs. FAN-FRICKING-TASTIC!!!! Probably my favorite read of the year so far tbh.

This was a good fun time. Solid 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. A dystopian adult romantasy with lots of action? I was thoroughly entertained. & thank you to LEO PR for gifting me a copy! Plot, pros, & cons below 👇🏼

PLOT
Wren has powers in a world where having powers gets you enslaved or killed. She was also raised by her uncle who trained her to be an excellent soldier to protect herself. One day she uses her skills to protect another & it catches the eye of the wrong people which puts her in tryouts for a military unit of her enemy. This book has
- dystopian vibes
- loooose enemies to lovers, not really but kinda
- stubborn/reckless but entertaining FMC
- military captain MMC
- military training & academic setting
- magic havers vs. not
- war, rebellion, & uprisings
- med-ish spice


PROS
- A really easy read. Easy to understand & digest & figure out this world, these characters, & their motivations.
- Super clear dystopian messaging/themes from the jump. I also liked the addition of some, “hey both groups did bad shit but how do we move forward from it so we don’t repeat violent regimes of the past” storyline which I find intriguing as it’s ripe for future conflict between the warring groups. One of my favorite themes in general is everyone being someone’s villain & idk if this is going to go that way but it seems like it could & I’m into that if it does.
- Tons of action. Very little downtime, which is just fun.
- SO much in the last like 20%! Loved!
- Wren is fun. She’s reckless but in a way where I wasn’t constantly like “you’re a dipshit” — even when she was objectively being one lol. Idk there was just something I liked about her.
- Cross is hot. & I like how he developed & we got to see his softer side over time. I’m interested in his further development.
- Kaine is a very fun side character. He was entertaining through & through.


MIDS
- I predicted 99% of this plot but I still had fun so idc really.


CONS
- Sometimes I don’t mind instalust but it made me sort of not invested in the romance until the very end when feelings started being shared. So my feelings on the romance are conflicted.
- There were a couple of things Wren did that were just objectively stupid & seemingly out of character for a woman who spent 15+ years protecting herself from harm & dangerous situations. Sure she constantly says she’s reckless but some of her actions just made no sense given her backstory, which made the resulting conflict feel like fodder.
- Something about their banter sometimes just felt off. Like so close to being so swoon-worthy but not *quite* there.


Will def read book 2 when it comes out!


⚠️ SPOILERS ⚠️
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- Knew immediately without question Cross was Wolf. Would have been so interesting if one of his brothers was Wolf though tbh. And him being Wolf meant we didn't really get to witness their relationship develop because it already had in the past, which does feel like we lost out on that.
- The ending about her parents is an interesting twist! Excited to see where that goes.
- I didn’t feel like we truly lost Kaine so when he was back that wasn’t surprising but him being the pilot is fun!
- Lyddie betraying was gooooood even if Wren getting her scar erased was objectively dumb.

Top read of the year for sure! Loved wren and cross the banter/ tension between the two was perfection. The pacing was everything and kept me on the edge of my seat especially towards the end things picked up and the twists kept coming. Cannot wait for book two.

Holy bloody moly. Dystopian romance readers I AM CALLING YOUUUUU!!!

I think I’ve just read the next big book that will take off in the bookish community!!! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 OH MY GOODNESSSSS 🤯🤯🤯

What you can expect;
🩶Dystopian romance
🩶Enemies to lovers
🩶Elite training program
🩶Fourth Wing meets Divergent (*cue happy dancing*)
🩶Powers (Mods) vs the Powerless (Primes)
🩶Swoonworthy MMC Cross (think Four & Xaden vibes)

Honestly this read absolutely blew me away and I. NEED. MORE. 🤯 DYSTOPIAN ROMANCE IS BACK GIRLIES !!!!

Thank you SO SO much to the beautiful team at Penguin Random House Australia for an ARC of this book (ISNT SHE BEAUTIFUL 🥹), the handwritten note (shoutout to the gorgeous Tanaya) and my Silver Elite badge pin 🩶feeling so grateful 🥹🫶🏻 cue the dreaded book hangover 🫠

Dani Francis explores the dystopian world in their debut novel, Silver Elite. We follow Wren, a modified hiding in plain sight, as she journeys through the military academy and unravels secrets of her world and her commanding officer, Cross Redden. This is an enemies to lover story between Wren and Cross and is incredibly fast-faced. Readers of romantasy novels will enjoy this.

Definitely accurate to call this a cross between Fourth Wing and Divergent. Military college but dystopian. I was quickly drawn into the world and the story. While some things were predictable, the last 60 pages saw things escalate quickly and take a dramatic turn. Will definitely be recommending and looking forward to book 2!

5 STAR READ, DARE I SAY 6? (still contemplating at the moment)

So...I don't know why I doubted this book for A. SINGLE. SECOND! It was everything I wanted and more (and that's saying something because my expectations were SKY HIGH from the start!)

This book is the child of Divergent and Red Queen plot-wise and magic system wise, yet Xaden and& Violet kind of BANTER! And if you know me, you know that is the HIGHEST COMPLIMENT!

The characters, the characters, the characters. I will always stand by the idea of: The characters make or break the book. AND WREN & CROSS! OH. MY. GOSH. I'm still reeling. Let's just say that the first spice scene was better than any dark romance I ever read (BECAUSE THE TENSION AND BANTER WAS THERE!!!) That's what I needed and holy did Dani DELIVER!

Dystopian is SO BACK! I had the best time reading this and the fact that I got an e-ARC of it before this masterpiece was publishes humbles me so much. I am SO GRATEFUL (totally neglected studying for upcoming finals to finish this 500+ page book in less than 2 days!)- thank you Hambright PR, Netgalley, and the legend herself, Dani Francis!

I am sat for Book 2. I don't know what I'm gonna do with my life until then.

This. Book. I'm obsessed! ♾️⭐️ I was so deeply invested in this and desperately need book two like I need air. I loved everything about it. The world, the characters, the powers, it's all so so good! I'm going to be thinking about this non-stop.

There's a certain someone that says certain things like, "I will rip anyone's throat out, burn the entire fvcking world down, if it means keeping you safe and–"

So yeah. Do yourself a favor and read this immediately! There are some darker elements, so make sure it's right for you first.

Also, I would go into this with zero expectations and NOT compare it to other books such as Hunger Games, Divergent, etc. You'll have a much better time. (Like I did!)

Huge thank you to Del Rey books for reaching out and offering me an e-arc! The squeal I squealed was unreal. 🫶🏻

Silver Elite by Dani Francis 🪖

“You’re not timid or weak, dove. you’re a firestorm..”

I’ve seen this book everywhere for the last couple of weeks so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it but was pleasantly surprised when I was sucked in from the first chapter! This is a dystopian romance that follows Wren, our main character, who has psychic / telepathic abilities and is forced to join the enemy military to hunt and kill her kind. I don’t read dystopian very often but I loved those elements of the book. The world building was so fun and unique. There are so many hidden secrets and twists I didn’t see coming. Also the romance was top tier. The tension and banter was off the charts and the genuine feelings they develop for each other was so fun to see unfold! If you love…

🩵 Forbidden Romance
🪖 Military academy
🤫 Secret identities
🔮 Psychic / Telepathic powers
🩶 Commanding officer / Recruit
😬 High stakes / twists and turns

Then you will love this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Wow! What a great new dystopian series. I will be waiting impatiently for the next book to come out. Wren was raised by her uncle after her parents died when she was five. He had promised her mother that he would take her away and keep her safe and did a good job until Wren did something that caught unwanted attention. Now she needs to hide who she is to survive.

Thank you Del Rey for the E-ARC of Silver Elite in exchange for an honest review of the book.
Okay, this has a very high potential for becoming the Fourth Wing. All the hype surrounding this one is true, it’s an addictive, dystopian, banter filled fantasy debut novel that is the start of a series.
The story takes place 150 years after a biotoxin has left people either immune to the toxin(Prime) or with enhanced abilities(Modified). And there’s a clear division that the Primes believe the Modified to be evil and must be sent to labor camps, enslaved, or sentenced to death if they are found guilty of being a part of the Faithful(those that stand against the Company). I went into this book completely blind as dystopian is not my normal area of fantasy and this one was a good one to start with. I loved the banter between all the characters romantic and platonic, it was good all-around to me.
Cross and Wren?!? UGH, love. Although I did see it coming that Wolf is Cross, not sure if it was intentional but I think it is because of how the story unfolds after they discover that they’ve known each other for years through their random link through telepathy when they were kids. I didn’t see Kaine coming out of the blue as a member of the Faithful so that plot twist had me all shook. Then the ending, I was crying. I really can’t wait for book 2 to be in my hands.

4.5⭐️

This book was absolutely addicting, mostly fast-paced, adrenaline filled and with an interesting set of characters! Our fmc, Wren was a bit different from usual fantasy heroines, i really appreciated the fact that she knew how to be ruthless when needed, rude too if necessary, she never lets anyone stamp on her toes and i’m so here for it! She definitely wasn’t perfect as she took a few rushed decisions, especially towards the end but it’s great to read about flawed female characters.

It had been a while since i’d read a dystopian book so this brought back some memories😂, i enjoyed the worldbuilding and the whole system that opposes Mods (modified, people with some kind of mental powers) vs Primes (devoid of any kind of power). Cross was also very hot🤭 and i loved the tension at the beginning!! I just wished that some things between them were solved mostly with words/acts of affirmation/love and not with their bodies!
While it had a few flaws, sometimes the characters behavior wasn’t that coherent or perhaps some things were solved quite hastily, the ending is very promising and I definitely can’t wait for book 2!


Thanks so much to Del Rey for sending and arc copy, i had so much fun reading this! All opinions are my own!

WOWOWOW
Divergent and Fourth Wing but make it ADULT 🌶️

I loved this read! Dani Francis resurrected dystopian romance from my teens and im so here for it 🙌🏽
Silver Elite is a wild ride that keeps you hooked from the very first chapter. Wren Darlington, our FMC, has been hiding her whole life. She learns how to survive, hide, conceal, and fight to keep herself alive, Her secrets are endless and the current world can’t be held back any longer when she is thrown into enemy territory.
It’s only until her skills are put to the absolute test that the world she knew starts crashing around her and she has no one left to turn to. Wren needs to find her footing and fast because her life and the life of the Uprising depend on it!

I could not put this book down (literally) I was doing things around the house and carrying it in every room with me because I was obsessed with the story. Such a new and fresh take on a genre that hasn’t resurfaced in a while, which made it that much more special!!

I will be along for the ride of whatever comes next 🤗

What a fun ride! Wren is a mod, but Mods are not welcome in the generals Company. They are sent to labor camps or killed. She has to keep her telepathic abilities a secret. The biggest test is when she is recruited against her will to the Company and to train for Silver Block.

Wren is impulsive and reckless. She's also one of the most powerful Mods. Cross is the general's son, but he has secrets of his own. Their star-crossed, forbidden romance blooms against the odds in a fast paced and propulsive story. I am a sucker for a side character and I loved both Kaine and Lyddie. There were some twists and turns as we examine the dystopian oppression of the Company against the Mods. The story is easy to follow and a great option for those looking to dip their toe into a dystopian fantasy novel. In the end, there's a huge dynamic shift and I cannot wait to see what's in store for our characters next!

I knew within the first 50 pages this book was going to be a five-star read. This is a book you will pick up and stay up until 3am reading because you lost track of time and literally cannot put it down

This dystopian world will absolutely suck you in, and even if dystopian reads aren’t your usual pick, I’m telling you, you NEED to pick this up, it’s so unique, the character development is incredible and the plot twists will absolutely blow your mind! It’s action packed from start to finish, it never gets dull or drags, it’s TRUE enemies to lovers, the banter makes you laugh out loud, and the spicy scenes..oh boy are they hottttt

I LOVE an author who keeps you on your toes, and I LOVE a book where NOBODY is safe. I WANT to be shocked, I WANT to scream and yell and cry and this book absolutely exceeds the bar. My brain is absolute scrambled eggs after finishing this book and I had to stare at the wall for a while before writing this review to process what just happened

This is the next big book. The one that you will see all over bookstagram and booktok, I am absolutely calling it now because this book is INCREDIBLE! Please please please do yourself a favor and drop whatever you’re reading and pick this up NOWWWW & then hop in my DMs and give me all the updates because I WISH I could read this for the first time again

Thank you so much Del Rey books for the arc! One of my favorite reads to date

<b>Of all things holy……. WHAT did I just read</b>

<b>That was amazing my best read of 2025 so far</b>

Wren is a modified she has abilities that allow her to do things others can’t. She keeps this a secret she’s been in hiding her whole life, why?? Because her kind are a risk to the primes (humans with no abilities). She pretends she’s just ordinary and manages to blend into her ward.
Until one day she accidentally exposes herself and is dragged to a military base and forced into a training programme by an extremely hot captain!
She try’s to fail the programme by acting incompetent but she isn’t and the captain knows it.
War is brewing and she must pick a side, this should be simple right? Wrong!! Lines have blurred her objectives have began to contradict her beliefs. She is completely and utterly alone.
Or is she???

This was totally the best read I’ve read in 2025 so far!
How the hell did I leave this arc even for a second on my tbr list!

<b>trust me when I say this book is going to be HUGE</b>

Honestly the plot amazing!
Backstory wasn’t info dumped it was presented the whole way through the book seamlessly!
The side characters were all amazing they all played an amazing part of the story’s and all are not as they seem!
Cross was the perfect mmc and one the relationship blossoms the whole way through the book!
The enemies to lovers was on point!

I just can’t even explain how much I loved this!

If you love divergent, fourth wing then you will love this!!
It’s has everything, I’m so heartbroken it’s over!!

I’m waiting impatiently for book 2!! Maybe even a film because this book so warrants that deal!!

Infinity stars for this for sure
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wren Darlington is nothing less than reckless and impulsive, and this is what initially gets her in danger when she helps a young boy in her town by shooting a coyote that is trying to kill him. The shot was too good and the wrong people noticed. This leads down a hellish spiral where she ends up seeing her guardian die, and to prove her innocence is forced to join the people they were fighting against. The Silver Block are specially trained fighters for the Continent and the testing to get in there is extensive. They are also the ones who are hunting the people like her, those who are modified and specifically those who have the amount of abilities that Wren has. Just when Wren thinks failing might lead to her freedom, she learns no matter what she will be in a cage of some sort. Cross Redden, who is in charge of the Silver Block and also the son of her enemy, is infuriatingly attractive but also refuses to play her games.



Wren isn't ready to prove herself to Cross, or anyone she is with, until the rebellion reaches out, promising her that if she passes and becomes a Silver Elite, they will start using her in their missions against the General. As Wren pushes herself into this new position, the tension between her and Cross seems to grow. He is always where she is, finding her when she is alone and teasing her until the moment the tension finally breaks.



Now Wren has to deal with her budding feelings for the enemy, while also working against them from the inside. But the more she learns about Cross, the more she wonders if he truly believes in all the things he father does, and maybe there is a chance they won't constantly be against each other...maybe.



Meanwhile, the rebellion is working in every way possible to take the General down, even in ways that Wren doesn't agree with. The rebellion is ready to break apart the skewed beliefs of their home. Wren isn't ready to go against her morals, about people's free will and who has control, but her beliefs will be tested by both the Silver Elite and Rebellion as her time with them goes.



Everything I heard about this book is it was like an 'adult Hunger Games' and though I'm not sure I fully agree, I see the comparison. I would say it's a mix of Hunger Games and Divergent with a little bit 'modified' humans from Maximum Ride, but yes, it is definitely for adults. I for sure wouldn't call it romantasy as much as romance and science fiction, since a lot of what is happening is based more in science then having dragons flying around. One of my favorite concepts was the being able to speak telepathically, especially with the secret bond between Wren (Daisy) and Wolf, a secret friend she has never meet who has been speaking to her since she was kid.



That being said, I really enjoyed this book and am excited to see where the trilogy goes, especially after the letter at the end of the book. I am a big fan of dystopian novel, and there are definitely a lot of points in this book that feel a little close to home now. For a debut novel, it is really well written and the concepts within the book made a lot of sense. I was a really big fan of the characters, with the main focus always being Wren but some of the side characters were lovely too. Both Wren and Cross are well written, with their own amount of complexities that both compliment and go against each other.

4/5🌟 | 3/5🌶️

Okay this was so fun!!! I haven’t read a lot of dystopian fiction but I really enjoyed this one.

Wren’s been hiding her psychic abilities & aiding the Uprising her whole life. After a careless mistake that places her in the hands of the enemy, she’s forced to join their silver elite training program & finally has an opportunity to help take them down from within.

I throughly enjoyed all of the action and training scenes throughout this book. It was such a fast paced and easy read.

The romance in this one was a slow burn but ooof the tension & pining & banter were absolute perfection! Wren & Cross were so hot and I just love them. And the added aspect of forbidden romance?! Sign me up. Every. single. time.

Although I was able to predict some of the plot twists, this was still a solid book 1 in a series & I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2 to see what happens next!

{what to expect}
- dystopian fiction
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- military academy
- delicious alpha hero
- telepathy & psychic powers
- divergent x fourth wing vibes
- forbidden romance
- he’s obsessed with her
- hidden identity
- slow burn
- banterrrr

Thank you so much Dani Francis, Del Rey & Hambright PR for an early copy of this book!