Well well well… what an absolute sweet treat.
I’m spitballing this entire review so hold onto your hats.

This is one of those books that has you up late at night reading, dreading the day you’re about to have at work because you really should’ve slept but you couldn’t. Because the book was too addictive to put down.

This was so fun. This is a dystopian fantasy with all your standard themes of a dystopian hell scape - segregation, mass murder, war, surveillance, manipulation of reality, isolation and rebellion. What makes this one even more fun is you don’t really know whose side is right or wrong.. and it begs the question, is there ever a right or wrong in war? BUT WAIT… there’s more. We have an MMC with dimples *screams* and likes it rough *louder* (and he’s also obsessed and down bad and very competent).

The FMC is erratic, emotional, rash, impulsive, caring, sensitive, filled with regret, sarcasm and the ability to lie through her teeth. She’s hilarious and probably has ADHD and that’s also why I found her to be incredibly relatable. She is full of complexities and we love to see it!

Important note!!!! ‼️ this is not the hunger games, divergent, or fourth wing. But it is SIMILAR in the way that it shares dystopian themes and a YA style of writing (easy, well paced). But it is not the same.

You will love this if you love dystopian themes, steamy scenes, feisty (probably “unlikeable”) FMC’s, banter, lies, twists, betrayals and exciting plots that will keep you hooked til the last page (what a bombshell though 👀)

Absolutely a masterpiece! I still can't stop thinking about it! It was everything and a little bit more!

This book hooked from the first chapter and didn't let go. It has some vibes of military academy like FW BUT it was so much better! Amazing reading.
I absolutely loved the setting! Military academy and dystopian atmosphere. Totally unique and captivating. Worldbuilding was great, it wasn't hard to follow and it is truly interesting and unique.
Plot twists were very enjoyable, we got an opportunity to understand more depth and angles of the story.

Our FMC - Wren Darlington (super cute name!) - I want to be her when I grow up! THe development of the character was amazing. She's strong, independent, she can do it all! Her con-woman actions were so entertaining. Her witty banter, sarcasm and attitude! Chef kiss!
MMC - Cross Redden (I also love the name very much) - OMG, what was it? GORGEOUS and DELICIOUS! How he was jealous, how he was charming! Please bring me more! New book boyfriend in town, girls!

The romance line - what can I say? I'm in love! We even got some pieces of love triangle (Team Cross!!!).


Side characters were great, thoroughly done.

The writing style, the pace - perfection! We definitely need need more stories like that!
Run, don't go for this book! 10/10, best romantasy book of the year!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early copy of the Silver Elite.

DNF at around 15%.

I can tell even from this small amount that I read that this book will not be for me. This definitely falls into the category of romantasy with a dystopian/urban fantasy. And sometimes I am into that type of story, but this really just felt like leftovers from the fourth wing hype with a more dystopian set dressing. And that's really not my bag.

The FMC was thirsting over everyone in the room after just watching her only parental figure die and being interrogated. She is also written in a very "not like other girls' headspace which is a turn off for me.

So, all in all, a bit disappointing that we can't do new things with the romantasy genre.

I feel this is going to be a BIG hit with readers. It feels like Divergent meets Fourth Wing, while it still stands on it own. It builds really well and is every easy to get into and understand. I personally LOVE how powerful Wren is but she also makes the most WILD decisions - which makes for an entertaining read. Unfortunately, I didn't connect with the romance, but there's no doubt in my mind that others will! Other than that, I was shocked multiple times, even though you may guess a thing or two. I didn't want to put this down and I am very intrigued to see what comes next!

Thank you so much to Del Rey for my ARC, I appreciate it!

3.75/5 ⭐️

If Divergent, Fourth Wing and the Hunger Games merged into one book, no one can tell me it wouldn’t be Silver Elite.

There aren’t many books that have had me so sucked into the plot that I feel like I need to take a day to stare at a wall to process, but Silver Elite could get anyone out of a reading slump just to put them in a need for a recovery support group.

My favourite fantasy series are the ones where you can’t guess what will come out of the next page, where characters do get killed off and you get more invested out of concern for your favourites an whether they will make it out.
I loved the characters, and somehow I loved how I would go from loving a character one second to suddenly despising them, or suddenly liking a character I’d disliked most of the book.
The author wrote this so well that I kept having to lay the book down to stare at the wall to try process while muttering ‘oh my god’ or random swear words under my breath.

While dystopia is definitely coming back, I will say that if you see the dystopia label for Silver Elite and jump to read it, the story definitely leans more toward the romantasy route than a full dystopian dive into systematic collapse and other usual dystopian themes. However, it is the first in a series and I believe there’s good chance that we’ll get more intricate dystopian structure and as the series goes along and Francis gets to give us more world building.

I went into Silver Elite with something between neutral to low expectations, which was foolish of me. I was completely unprepared for how hooked I would be, as well as how mentally scrambled the story left me when I got to the end. It was only worse when I remembered that the book isn’t even out yet so the wait for answers in the sequel that isn’t even announced yet is going to be dreadful.
If this is how Dani Francis debuts, I can’t wait to see what she will give us in the future, with or within this series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.8
A Fast-paced and divergent-esque dystopian world. I loved getting to know the different abilities. The slow burn was just the right amount and enjoyed the dynamic between Cross and Wren.

I’m looking forward to finding out more about the Uprising in the next book, I have a feeling our fiery fmc is going to be butting heads with a lot of people.

Hi guys, here I am again! Another book another review!
This time I'm reviewing Silver Elite written by Dani Francis. I read this as an ARC, thanks to Netgalley and also the author Dani Francis and Random House Worlds.

It's a dystopian, enemies to lovers and sci-fi book with a pinch of spice but still romantically. I can compare it with Divergent.

My first opinion when I started this book was, oh no, I don't like to read the real sci-fi stories with the guns and the futuristic airplanes and that sort of a stuff so I would try and give it a chance to read like the first 100 pages...

Oh boy! WHERE DID I GO WRONG??? Even before I reached like page 50 of the book, I was addicted and I couldn't get it out of my head. I just wanted to read it, absorb all of this and now... I'm so hooked on it and utterly lost because I finished it. When is book 2 coming out?!?!

I know I'm not letting you know the story and what's it about. I have to let you read it, yourself! Because if I start here and tell you all about it, people will know it ALL, thanks to my blabbing mouth.

So people, dear readers, bookish friends, this has to be on your TBR!!

So it earns an easy 5-star!!!

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Silver Elite, we follow our FMC, Wren, in a world where people with psychic abilities (Mods) are in danger of facing a death sentence.

Wren is a very powerful Mod and after bringing too much attention to herself, ends up being forced to train in the most elite programme. A programme to join the enemy’s ranks. However, it becomes an opportunity to take the enemy down from the inside.

We follow Wren at the training academy, where she has to complete numerous training tasks and assessments, before the story develops once we’ve found out whether Wren makes it through the training successfully.

On top of this, Wren’s commanding officer, Cross, is this ruthless and beautiful man who Wren can’t seem to fight her attraction to.

I absolutely loved this and couldn’t put it down! Very few books give me this feeling nowadays, once you’ve read enough of them they all start feeling the same. But this was incredible.

By the time I reached 30%, I was preordering the physical copy. I just knew I needed this for my shelf as a trophy!

This is perfect for anyone who loves Dystopian Fantasy like The Hunger Games or Shatter Me, but wishes they were written for adults. This was so easy to read and although spicy, it didn’t feel too spicy to the point where it took away from the plot.

I loved the twists and turns throughout, and although I predicted a few things, I still ate it up!

I’m very much looking forward to the next book in this series!

Characters - 10/10
Atmosphere - 10/10
Writing - 10/10
Plot - 10/10
Intrigue - 10/10
Logic - 10/10
Enjoyment - 10/10

not me having back to back infinity star reads?????? WE ARE SO BACK!!!!!!!!!!

“Be safe, Daisy.”
“You too, Wolf.”

I NEED TO BE COMMITTED LOL this book was so good you guys. This gave me everything that I wanted to get out of it and more! I went in with the expectation that this would satisfy my craving for a dystopian romance that would take me back to my ROOTS: the peak dystopian romance era of 2013/2014, and that’s exactly what I think everyone should go into this book expecting.

I INHALED this. It was so fun, but the plot was also SO interesting and kept gripping me and pulling me in the longer I read! The world building came together piece by piece so well that by the time I finished, I really felt like I was in it. And the plot twists and reveals at the end???? I was gagged, truly, I didn’t see any of it coming and now I’m sitting here with my jaw on the floor staring at my wall. Wow.

Now… the ROMANCE!!!!!! The romance 😭 oh they are everything to me. No spoilers, but wow. I miss them already. That romance was built brick by painstaking brick and the payoff was SO so so good. Cross… 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️ that’s all I’m gonna say LOL

I need the next book… expeditiously. New auto-buy author and favorite series for sure!

This book gave me life!!!! Such a refreshing fantasy romance but I would categorize it as a dystopian romance. Wren is so fierce and strong and I hope she gets everything she wants. I know this will be a booktok hit. I was hooked from the very beginning to end. If your love dystopian stories, forbidden romance and hidden identities you will eat this book and it’s gonna leave u wanting more!

Silver Elite is my latest obsession—think Divergent meets Fourth Wing with a military academy twist, and I was hooked from page one. The tension, the stakes, the betrayal, the spice… all of it hit exactly right. I laughed, I screamed, I literally called my wife multiple times to scream about how much I loved this book while reading it. The twists kept coming, the pacing was sharp, and the emotional payoff was everything. I preordered the moment I finished because this one needs a permanent spot on my shelf.

It’s been a while since I devoured a book and I ate this one up. This book felt like Fourth Wing meets Shatter Me to me, and while both of those are favorites of mine, I will now be adding this beauty to the shelf right alongside them.

While SILVER ELITE didn’t deliver anything particularly new or groundbreaking in the world of dystopian fiction, there was an addictive quality to the way Francis told the story that had me constantly thinking about this world and these characters, and it was that compulsive element that I enjoyed so much. The world is dark (literally, in some parts), harsh, unforgiving, and a perfect backdrop to the trials that the characters have to endure in order to succeed. It was a little confusing at times trying to figure out why the world is the way it is, but I was able to grasp it eventually and I ended up really enjoying the divided world.

I so wanted Wren to succeed and find a bit of happiness because she’s truly been through the wringer. Not only is she totally alone in the world, except for her childhood friend Wolf with whom she communicates psychically, she’s also very much alone in the fact that she’s a Mod amongst people who hate them. Hidden identity is one of my favorite tropes and I adored that aspect in this book.

There were some major twists and turns throughout the story, which definitely kept me on my toes, and I’m looking forward to seeing how those play out in subsequent books. The ending was a bit of a brutal one and now I’m bereft and lost because I have to wait for the second book. Though this one put me in a major slump, so I may just reread it, repeatedly, until book 2 comes out. 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the ARC — all opinions are honest and my own.

This is a fantastic debut! And I’m obsessed, I’ll admit it. I can’t stop thinking about this story… I’d been wanting to read more dystopians this year but I prefer a romantic element in my reads — this one delivered the sci-fi and love story in the measures I hoped for.

I’ve seen a lot of comparisons to Divergent & Fourth Wing — Silver Elite definitely has those vibes with a bit of a romantasy flair (I’ve seen “romantasci” circulating recently as a subgenre term, this probably qualifies?) The love story is set against a harrowing backdrop of post-war dictatorship and survivalism. Ever since a biotoxin released 150 years prior gave some people psychic abilities it’s been one side against the other. And being Modified in the current regime is a death sentence.

Wren, the FMC, is Modified. For her, it’s hide, lie or die. She’s a bit reckless & impulsive but despite some questionable decisions, I generally liked her. I enjoyed that she’s flawed! And she’s a tough cookie.

Her CO, Cross Redden… I cannot get this man out of my head. He just exudes sex appeal and he’s the kind of morally grey that you can’t fully trust, but the things he says & does… I could quote him from memory!

No one in this book can be trusted to be who they say they are. There were so many twists I didn’t see coming and this author isn’t afraid to do drastic, unexpected things with the characters. That being said, I found the side characters to all be enjoyable, no matter their motives. There’s a little bit of a ‘found family’ element but again, this book builds trust issues fairly quickly. In a way, it feels like how the main characters must feel in the story — always a little on-edge and therefore keeping everyone at arm’s length.

Medium pacing, which I liked. Interesting world building but not too deep as to become confusing and I’d describe the general atmosphere as “grey”, not dark, which felt appropriate for this story. This one is definitely a favorite and I’m anxious for the next book! I have a feeling there’s many more twists to come

Review of Silver Elite
When I first started Silver Elite, I wasn’t sure how much I’d enjoy it—but by the second page, I was completely hooked. I actually put down every other book I was reading just so I could finish this one—it was that good. The story was gripping, the characters were compelling, and the pacing never let up. It delivered a totally satisfying conclusion to the cliffhanger in the first book, while still leaving me eager for more. I can’t wait for the next installment in this trilogy!

Dystopian is so back, baby!!!!

Did this book hijack my brain and refuse to let go? Yes. Did I love every second of it? Absolutely. I devoured 75% of it in one sitting. This one easily outshines everything it’s compared to. The writing? So smooth and addictive—I was hooked from the first chapter. No exaggeration, I was sold the moment Wren hid in Cross’s room and ended up beneath him. That was it for me. Done. Gone.

We get high-stakes dystopia, psychic powers, political intrigues and rebellion, intense trials, a military-academy type setting, female friendships and rivalries, undercover operations, completely unhinged side characters (aka squad teammates), and a main couple with chemistry so explosive it was firing sparks through my Kindle.

Wren is a Mod (Modified). She is clever, fierce, and full of secrets—and Cross? He’s her commanding officer. A cocky, maddening menace with—ohhh—his own secrets, and he fully occupies my brain now. Book boyfriend list: updated. The tension between them? Insane. I was giggling, kicking my feet, and yelling at my Kindle every time they interacted. Enemies to lovers with a slow burn, drunk confessions, he-falls-first energy… it had everything.

And yes—did I mention Wren also has a mysterious male friend in her head she’s never met? Mhm… instantly obsessed.

It’s sharp, fast-paced, and totally unputdownable. I couldn’t stop flipping pages and I’m already desperate for book two. This is like if Divergent, The Hunger Games, and Fourth Wing had a baby—and that baby turned out to be the best one yet.

Huge thanks to Del Rey Books for the eARC through NetGalley!

This is the next Divergent or Hunger Games for new adults. It reads like young adult, except its spicy scenes land it definitively in the adult/new adult genre. Our main character is Wren Darlington. She lives in a post-apocalyptic United States (The Continent) where nuclear fallout left some people mutated by radiation. These people, called Mods, short for Modified, have special abilities. She is one of those Mods, except unlike most, she is able to access her abilities without exposing herself. Others’ veins glow silver.

The Primes, those who were not modified by radiation, shun Mods. There are also others who fled society. The Primes overthrew the Mods and are running the government, called Command. The Mods who fight them are part of an organization called The Uprising.

Everyone lives under the control of Command, the paramilitary government, which is stratified into ranks like silver, copper and tin.

When Wren’s uncle is kidnapped by this paramilitary, she goes to central command where she tries to save him. When she also gets caught, she soon learns that the only way out of Command may be through it.

Fans of Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent and Fourth Wing will enjoy a fast paced read full of twists. Rating a 4 because some of those twists seemed a little cliche or expected after reading the above series, and as per above, the book read more like a young adult with spicy scenes added in. Other twists were truly unexpected fun! I have lots of questions about what will happen next and look forward to delving into the next two books of what is planned to be a trilogy.

I loved everything about this book. The world building was fantastic. The FMC and MMC are incredible. Side characters are even amazing. I am left with wanting more and can’t wait to have book two.

If you’re a fan of Divergent or even Fourth Wing I highly recommend this book.

🩶Dystopian
🩶Forbidden romance
🩶Slow burn/tension
🩶Amazing banter
🩶Hidden identity
🩶Enemies to lovers
🩶Rebellion/uprising
🩶1st person, single POV
🩶Psychic abilities
🩶Bada** FMC
🩶Military academy
🩶Fast paced
🩶Forced proximity

I just finished this book and I will be thinking about it for a long time. It was such a great mix of themes, from the dystopian not unlike Divergent, to the more militaristic Minority Report, to the scifi good vs evil of X-Men....add in a sizzling, yearning romance and you have the recipe for an amazing story.

The tension between Wren and Cross was thick enough to cut with a knife, and the banter? Delicious. The entire cast of characters was amazing, even the ones you want to hate were written so well. My head is still spinning trying to figure out who to trust.

The last 20% of this book had me squealing, gasping and shouting. And I swear I have whiplash from all the revelations in the last few pages.

I could not put this down and I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Okay. What to say, what to say other than this book was one of the best dystopian reads I’ve had in a LONG time 😭🔥 Dare I say… it’s officially my top read of 2025?! I loved everything about it: the characters, the plot, the pacing, and obviously the dystopian vibes. I lost sleep over this book and regret NOTHING 💅

The dystopian and the romance solidified it for me. We’re in a world where humans are split in two: Primes and Modified. The Mods, whose veins literally turn silver, are considered lesser hunted down, killed, or sentenced to a lifetime in labor camps. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a full-on war brewing between the two… and our girl? She’s a Mod. Which means: she’s hiding who she really is 👀 !!!!

And the best part?? She’s a BADDIE. FINALLY, no “I must learn to be strong” FMC. Wren Darlington is already lethal 🔪—her survival and interrogation skills are so on point, she actually has to tone it down. We need more characters like her, period. She’s cunning, fierce, and absolutely magnetic. AHHHH I LOVED HER 😭👏 tbh the characters all of them specially the side characters made this book even more interesting (made me think of hunger games and how we know the characters from other districts)

Wren’s journey had me glued to every page. Watching her play the part of an “ordinary Prime” while hiding the truth about who she is? AMAZING. The stakes?? Perfection. It gives "trust NO ONE" vibes and i loved every second of it.

And don’t even get me started on Cross 😮‍💨 The man is the captain of the unit Wren is training to get a spot for. Their banter?? Their slow-burn attraction?? Their everything?? It was hot, it was intense, it was delicious 😩🔥

Why 5 stars? Because there wasn’t one part of this book that dragged. Not one scene I’d cut. Every single moment mattered and kept me begging for more. If you love a well-built dystopian world, a badass FMC, and a romance with heat substance, PLEASE pick this up.

I seriously can't believe is over and we were left how we were, I need MORE.

tropes
🤍 dystopian
🤍 captain x recruit
🤍 forced proximity
🤍 secret identity
🤍 betrayals, lies and more

Thank you Del Rey Books for my eARC in exchange for my review

Wow. EASY 5 Stars.

It consumed my brain and I honestly could not put it down. I was hooked from the very start.

I LOVED the writing style. It made the world easy to follow and understand.

The PLOT. UTTERLY Obsessed. Some plot points I found predictable and therefore, I feel others will as well, but that shouldn't deter you. This was an insanely incredible read, and truthfully, but there were a lot of plot twists that I did not see coming that made me GASP. The last 30% of the book had me completely stressed and in a must-finish-today situation because I had to know how it ended. I am SICK and I need the next book IMMEDIATELY. The dystopian world, the power vs. powerless dynamic, the characters. I devoured this book.

& I LOVED the characters. I enjoyed Wren from the her POV right from the start. She is such a strong badass FMC. Cocky, sarcastic but compassionate. She's perfect. Cross, our tattooed Captain - need I say more? Instalove for me and I make no apologies. The side characters were also just incredible. Everyone is important in their own way and it really made this such an incredible read.

This has the makings to be an epic series and I HOPE that this series gets all the hype because it really deserves.

Thank you to Netgalley and DelRey for this e-arc. Truly BLESSED!!

Also shoutout to NYCC 2025 because DelRey Booth had the Oracle quiz that got me this Physical Arc. I WILL CHERISH this one. A prized possession in my heart.