This book is definitely bringing back the dystopian fantasy genre! I'm here for it, if you ever read the Darkest Minds growing up and really liked that series, then I think you would like this one. Wren growing up has known she has to hired powers or else she will be murdered. A war happened 25 years ago, where the primes took back power from the mods, and have since been eradicating them or forcing them to work in camps. I think this book needed more world building for me. I am sure it is to come in later books, but I feel like I still did not understand who this past mod president was, and what he did, etc. The romance between the two characters was good, but I needed more. I felt like I needed more from them. I'm hoping to see it in book two! The ending was definitely a shock!

Thank you @hambright_pr @delreybooks for the gifted ARC!

🕊️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 🕊️
This dystopian story had me hooked! I need more of this story now! It brings me back to when I was loving Divergent, Hunger Games, etc… and it’s got vibes similar to Fourth Wing too. I loved it!

Wren is in hiding because of her unique psychic abilities. She is a Mod, and her world basically is Primes (people with no abilities) vs Mods (people with one or more unique abilities). When tragedy strikes, she’s forced to join the Continents elite training program, where she’s essentially a Mod hiding within a Prime world.

She had a romantic attraction to her commanding officer Cross, who is ruthless and is keeping a close eye on her. I am just envisioning Cross as Four from Divergent (in my head) and he is 🔥🥵!

I love the new friends she makes that are her underlying enemies. Going through training program together with your enemies makes you bond with them, yet Wren needs to try to remember who she is in the world.

I love a good cliffhanger ending! Ehhh!!! I need another book now to continue this story! These characters are enjoyable and some are fun to hate because they stink, but I’m exited to see how everything plays out!

This is the dystopian story you didn’t know you needed, so go read it now!

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
🤍 Dystopian Romantic Fantasy
🩶 Military Training Program
🤍 Psychic Abilities
🩶 Hidden Identity
🤍 Divergent x Fourth Wing vibes

I messed up and started this book before bed. Once I got into Silver Elite, I couldn't stop - I was literally kicking my feet and giggling in between all of the jaw-clenching tension. I got 2 hours of sleep, but have 0 regrets. CROSS!! The man that you are! **swoon** There were lots of moving parts, and secrets, and betrayals that only ramped up as the story wound down. I can't wait to find out how all these moving pieces come together and fall apart in the next book!

This book was everything! I was sucked in from the very first sentence. Simply unputdownable. This was perfection from start to finish. The pacing? On point. I was never bored. And the banter and slow burn tension? Chef’s kiss.

Wren is a force of nature. She’s a badass heroine through and through but by the end? I was ready to throw my Kindle across the room because THAT ENDING had me stressed. Betrayed. Screaming into the void. Wren, girl. Why?! Ugh.

Read if you enjoy:
✨ Dystopian romance
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Superhuman powers
✨ Banter and tension
✨ Betrayal and deception
✨ Military academy

This one gave me serious Divergent era flashbacks in the best way. The pacing is fast, the world is gritty and vivid, and the powers add a thrilling twist. I’m beyond excited to see where this story goes next. Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Silver Elite by @authordanifrancis
Yes, you’re seeing 6 stars, I’m not sure if I’ve ever given 6 stars before, but this is SO deserving! I loved everything about this! I was a Divergent, Hunger Games, Maze Runner girlie, and this gave me the same feelings I had when I read those! I love me a dystopian!!

This book gave me so many feels. I instantly loved Wren, she’s perfect, strong, loyal, protective. I was emotional throughout her journey. And I LOVED Cross, sorry to say, he’s my book boyfriend, y’all can’t have him. He’s tough, loyal, and has a little soft spot! The u likely pair should be enemies, I mean he literally imprisoned her, but somehow they find their way to each other, discovering secrets along the way. The ending crushed me, I NEED the next two books like I need air! Thank you Dani for bringing back dystopian books for me, I didn’t realize how much I missed them, until I read this!

Thank you @netgalley, @penguinrandomhouse, @delreybooks, and @authordanifrancis for an ARC of this book!!

Delectable. Truly had such a fantastic time, YA dystopian is so back baby.
Wren is such a sharp, witty protagonist to follow and dont even get me started on Cross. I need more of them asap. It was truly refreshing to have an FMC that was savvy and smart and calculated with her decisions in a way that felt justified and whole, and also acklowledge her short-comings and had a readiness to learn which was so fun to see!
I went into this world totally blind and to be honest that might be the best way to do it, The expansive world and conflict between the Primes and Mods and ugh the yummy politics of it all had me HOOKED.
Truly hits the spot for readers looking for the love child of the hunger games and fourth wing and red queen.
Full review linked:

𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧…
🩶 enemies to lovers
🕊️ dystopian romance
🩶 hidden identity
🕊️ military academy setting
🩶 telepathic & psychic powers
🕊️ secrets & deception

𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨…
Wren - a “Modified”, or someone with psychic powers - lives in hiding, or risk being killed for those very powers. A twist of fate means she is enrolled in a prestigious military academy, working for the very people trying to kill her… including commanding officer Cross.

𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨…
I absolutely flew through this book! It does take a little while for things to ramp up, but I was hooked from fairly early on 👏🏼 This is a book you can easily lose yourself to for a few days, and end up with a hangover from!

I loved the dystopian world and the military academy setting. The dystopian elements felt something like we haven’t read in a long time! (is dystopian making a comeback I hope so 👀) And the military academy / forbidden romance with a sworn enemy senior officer did feel a *little* FW but I absolutely ate it up anyway 👏🏼

Wren I have mixed feeling about - I loved her sassiness! But she is SO thoughtless & impulsive… some of the decisions she makes are beyond stupid 🤯🫠 (give me a smart & calculating Aelin any day please 👏🏼)

Wren & Cross’s relationship was a lot of fun though, and I’m hoping we get to know Cross better in book 2 as I really only felt he came into it properly at the end! (And I spent most of the book fancying Kaine 🙄)

For me this never quite felt like a 5★ read, primarily because - even if the world was unique - the plot did feel a bit cookie cutter (the biggest twist you’ll be able to guess from the first few chapters 😅). But it is so much fun & absolutely worth a read, and I can’t wait to pick up the second book!

Very good romantasy book! Got me out of a read slump! Certainly one of the best of 2025, can’t wait to read the next one! Very good world construction and characters!

first, thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the eARC and finished copy!

3.75 stars rounded up to a 4!! ⭐️

Silver Elite is an addicting debut novel! I literally read it within 24 hours because once I picked it up, there was no way I could put it down!

I really enjoyed how fast paced it was, and I thought the plot was interesting and the writing style kept me entertained the entire time!

I just wish we got to see a little more of the romance between Wren and Cross develop. It felt a little bit too insta-lust for me and while this is the first book in a series so there is time for it to show, I was just looking for them to have more of an emotional connection on page.

I'm looking forward to book 2 (especially after that amazing ending, WOW!!) and I definitely recommend this book for readers who are looking for a steamy romance dystopian novel!

6 star read for me! I'm OBSESSED with this book! It was amazing! It gives you all the divergent nostalgia you could want while also having its own unique storyline. If you loved Four, you'll love Cross. He is everything. I loved Wren too! Their banter and tension is top tier! I loved the slow burn between them as well. I have nothing bad to say about this book!

Very much divergent x fourth wing military vibes. A little predictable. I was instantly hooked, but I did start to lose interest after 50%. The pacing slowed down.

I had a hard time connecting to the main character. She was immature and impulsive, and I was hoping for character growth because she's only 20, but her actions seemed to get worse as the story went on. I was getting frustrated. Hopefully, her character will grow in book 2.

The romance was very insta lust. And I did have an idea of where it was going.

***Spoiler***

After his identity was revealed, their connection was held together by their history. Which we get very little glimpses of throughout the story. I was hoping for more. I felt like we got more relationship development between her and Kaine.

Also, even though this is an adult dystopian romsnce, the characters read very young adult. This could be a result of the audiobook, however.🤷🏽‍♀️

The ending fell flat for me, too. It's probably because I guessed it but also because it's very similar to Divergent. I don't normally predict plot twists or revelations, but this felt too obvious.

Overall, there were some enjoyable moments. The first half was bingeable, and the world was easy to follow. I would still recommend depending on the person because this was entertaining and I had a good time.


•Dystopian
•Forbidden romance
•Hidden/secret identity
•Touch her and die
•Rebellion
•Psychic
•Easy world building

thank you, PRH audio, for the gifted audiobook and netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

Wren Darlington is an undercover Mod in plain sight. Her abilities? Her training & past? All hidden from the Primes who seek to eradicate her kind. When she’s thrown into the clutches of the very people who are hunting her, she is forced to join the military’s most elite Silver Block… with the hopes of taking the operation down from the inside. The main hurdle in her way is Cross Redden, her commanding officer and the man she can’t stop thinking about. A lack of trust, lies abound… will Wren be able to survive as the fox in the chicken coop?

This book was EVERYTHING I needed. I could barely function when I wasn’t reading it! All I did was think about it, talk about it and wish I was back in Dani Francis’ story. THE HYPE IS REAL WITH THIS ONE! The world building was fantastic, the FMC was such an incredible black-cat character I feel so hard for, and our MMC was so fun to try to figure out. The tension was tensioning, giving me all the tummy swooshes, footsie kicks and shimmies that I love in a fantasy romance. I hadn’t read a dystopian story in a while either, and this book reiterated how much fun I find a futuristic storyline! You have GOT to get your paws on this story, and I simply cannot wait to see where the story takes us next. THAT ENDING!?!?! LAWD HAVE MERCY I am shooketh!

What I Loved About This Story:
-Dystopian & military romance
-Enemies to lovers
-Undercover identities & espionage
-Incredible magic system & story build
-Verrrrry nice spicy spice!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book via the publisher, but my review is all my own. I’m so grateful I was able to read this book early!!

7 ⭐️ this book was amazing. I truly loved every single chapter of it. From the first chapter I was completely hooked and in love with this book.

I am so happy that dystopian romances are back and this one is close to perfect. The perfect combination between sci-fi, high stakes, undercover identities and romance.

I love Wren even though she is so impulsive. I can’t wait to see what other problems she gets herself into, but not more than I love Cross and how crazy he is about her.

Thank you Net Galley and random house for providing me an arc of this book. Can’t wait for book 2!

Oh my goddd THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED. I've been in the biggest slump and have not been able to beg out of it until THIS BOOK. This book is everything I was looking for and hoping I could find.

The PLOT??? Obsessed is an understatement. Wren gets thrown into enemy territory and has to protect herself while training as a recruit with the people she hates the most. Not a single part of this book slowed down, lost my interest, had me wanting to put it down. I LOVED every single thing about the flow of this story.

Our FMC Wren? a total badass. Sure she makes impulsive decisions, who doesn't? I LOVE her character development and absolutely every single thing about her. Her abilities are unique and interesting, I love her friendships and how she is to the people she loves.

Comander Cross? The enemy? The man she should absolutely stay away from at all costs? Obsessed with him. I would absolutely FOLD for Cross Redden without hesitation. Sorry to my husband, rip, because he just became my new book boyfriend. I loved seeing the different sides or him throughout the book. At first you just see him as a bad person, someone who everyone is afraid of. But once you go through the story, there is so much more that you're not expecting. He ended up being one of my favorite MMC, and I hope there is so much more coming.

The TENSION between these two? Impeccable. I was holding my breath, my eyes blurred because I was trying to read every single encounter between them too fast because the chemistry between them is absolute *chef's kiss* obsessed. SWOON worthy. I could easily read ten books about these two characters and NEVER get tired of it.

I absolutely Devoured This book. I have not been this engrossed in a story in awhile,The twists and turns throughout this story is top tier. The last few chapters were so intense and so so good I cannot wait to see where this series goes.

If you are nostalgic for YA dystopian novels from the early 2010s but with an adult twist, this book is for you. I found Silver Elite was the perfect blend between Divergent and The Hunger Games - this is what Fourth Wing wishes it was. I could not put this book down and ate it right up, high stakes, witty banter and the perfect amount of romance.

My only criticism is I felt the plot went off the rails in the last 20-30% of the book. The main character Wren made some truly mind boggling stupid decisions that I felt completely undermined her actions from the entirety of the book. Her main goal her whole life has been survival and YET that was the last thing on her mind!

That being said, I did have fun reading this book and honestly, that is what I am currently looking for in what I decide to read. I am interested to see where the plot goes in the next book and am looking forward to the sequel. Fantastic debut!

I absolutely devoured this book! Wren Darlington and Cross Redden are my new Feyre and Rhysand. This book is my Roman Empire.

Wren Darlington is a witty, snarky, powerhouse of a FMC. Her internal monologue had me cackling at times and forever pining for the morally gray Cross Redden. There was also whisper of a love triangle that kept things interesting.

Silver Elite has a lot of the tried and true romantasy tropes, but it never feels tired. I’ll admit I saw the twist coming from a mile away, but I was so engrossed that I didn’t even mind. The anticipation was electrifying and the slow-burn was everything. I’ll say it again, Cross Redden is my new Rhysand.

What really stuck out to me was the almost Orwellian atmosphere Francis created in this book. It was evocative and haunting, and pretty timely in my opinion. It’s safe to say I am fully on the Silver Elite train and cannot wait for book 2!

Read. This. Book.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey & Random House Worlds for the gifted eARC!

I went into this completely blind, and my goodness did it blow my mind! I DEVOURED IT (yes that’s right CAPS).

It had been a hot minute since I’d read a dystopian romance and it did not disappoint. I’ve seen some describe it as a dystopian romantasy, but for me, it more gave PNR vibes!

Perfect if you love:
• dystopian
• unique powers
• forced proximity
• slow burn
• enemies to lovers
• alpha hero
• badass & capable FMC

… & so much more that I can’t share without risk of spoilers!

At no point in the story did I know what was happening next, and I LOVE that in a book. It took me by surprise in the best way.

I really enjoyed both the MMC & FMC. He was broody, badass, and incredibly schmexy. She was clever, capable, and sassy! The slow burn was delicious, and when it combusted GOOD LAWD 🔥.

Anyway I HIGHLY recommend it to all my romantasy/PNR friends, because I think it’s one that will hook you all in!

Available in all formats & audio!

Thanks to @hambright_pr , @penguinrandomhouse , @delreybooks & @authordanifrancis for the advanced copy!

2.75⭐️

i’m happy that a lot of people are loving this book, sadly, i just wasn’t one of them.

the plot had some interesting moments, but overall it felt pretty predictable. that’s not always a bad thing, but in this case it often made things feel anticlimactic. either what i expected to happen happened, or something that seemed like it would be a big deal just got brushed aside way too quickly.

the characters felt pretty one dimensional to me, and i struggled to either root for them or feel anything against them. i was just kind of indifferent, even when big life or death situations happened — and that’s not a great feeling when you’re supposed to be invested. their relationships didn’t really pull me in either. most of them felt kind of shallow, especially between the MC and the love interest. from the beginning it was very instant physical attraction, which i’m not personally a fan of. the love interest was supposed to be mysterious, but to me he just felt kind of dull and lacked real personality.

the writing style also wasn’t for me, i found myself getting secondhand embarrassment more than once. the moments that were meant to be “hot” just made me cringe. a few memorable quotes from the love interest include: “i like it rough.” “you’d make a terrible whore, dove.” and “i’ve been a bad boy.”

on a more positive note, i did have fun here and there while reading. the world itself seemed interesting, and while the execution didn’t fully work for me, i can appreciate the concept. i think this could turn into a series that a lot of people will enjoy — even if it just didn’t click with me.

thank you to hambright PR and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a bingeable and amazing book! I want to binge the series, but I can't because it's not finished, yet. But can't wait to get to the books as they release.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review. This book is super addicting and is The new Fourth Wing. Cross is my new book boyfriend!