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!

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!