Rating - 4.5 rounded up to 5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Date Read - May 2, 2025
Publication Date - May 6, 2025

*I received an E-ARC of this book for free in exchange for an honest review* - Thank you @authordanifrancis, @delreybooks and @netgalley!

Silver Elite is such a fun book! I was hooked by page one. The dystopian elements with fantasy magic and romance felt nostalgic to books I loved growing up. I loved how much of the magic and special abilities we get to experience throughout the book, especially the telepathy. I am a sucker for the anonymous pen pal trope, adding telepathy to that was something I never knew I needed but can’t live without now! I also enjoyed the training program classes and the report cards were a great touch. Wren is snarky and awesome, yeah she's impulsive and you have to roll your eyes at some of her decisions but it fits her character and I thought it worked. I can’t wait to see where book two takes us!

If you like magic and brutal academic settings, you should try Silver Elite!

Get excited to read Silver Elite, available May 6! 🎉

*Please check trigger warnings*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars)

Receiving an advanced copy of *Silver Elite* was a delightful surprise, and diving into its pages proved to be an exhilarating experience. Dani Francis crafts a dystopian world where psychic abilities are both a blessing and a curse, setting the stage for a narrative filled with tension and intrigue.

The dynamic between the protagonists is a standout feature. Their enemies-to-lovers journey unfolds with a slow-burning intensity that feels authentic and earned. The emotional depth and gradual development of their relationship kept me thoroughly engaged.

Supporting characters are not mere background figures; they are well-developed individuals who contribute meaningfully to the story. Their presence adds richness to the narrative and enhances the immersive quality of the world Francis has built.

While the plot is generally compelling, there were moments where certain developments felt somewhat predictable. However, the strength of the character arcs and the emotional resonance of the story more than compensated for these minor shortcomings.

In summary, *Silver Elite* is a captivating blend of dystopian elements and romantic tension. It's a recommended read for fans of the genre and has certainly piqued my interest for the sequel.

ALL THE STARS. WOW. I’m completely blown away by this book. All the action, the twist & turns, PHENOMENAL. The writing style is on par with Rebecca Yarros as far as the action and plot twists. FMC Wren is the exact type of FMC you could hope for in a dystopian setting. The cliffhanger had me staring at my wall for a while. I cannot wait to see how the story continues to unfold!

**A HUGE thank you to Del Rey, NetGalley & author Dani Francis for allowing me to read the e-ARC for an honest review**

100/5 ⭐️

“You’re not timid or weak, Dove. You’re a firestorm, and you’re going to burn everything in your path if you don’t learn how to restrain yourself.”

“Yours is the only life that matters. I will rip anyone’s throat out, burn the entire fucking world down, if it means keeping you safe…”

I will RAVE & RAVE SOME MORE about how insanely good this book is!!! This gave me the feeling of reading The Hunger Games for the first time, the same feeling of reading dystopian for the first time. Immaculate. The FEELINGS this book stirred up in me are indescribable.

Wren - Badass. Capable. Independent. A tried & true strong FMC who has you rooting, sobbing, screaming for her. Obsessed with her capability and her wittiness.

Cross - Hot. Tempting. Secretive. The captain we all YEARN for. Bad boy energy and TRUE enemies to lovers trope come to life! 🥹

The side characters were also so amazing and you didn’t know who to trust!! So many plot twists, so many crazy things I didn’t expect!! The romance was spicy & STEAMY. The action and trials that our FMC had to go through were fast-paced & driven so well!! The psychic powers?? So interesting!!! Politics? Very complex& well written!!

I need this next book ASAP. This right here is the next big thing!!! 😍

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. The only negative thing about this book is that it is the first in a trilogy and none of the books are out yet!! Wren is a Katniss level heroine! She’s feisty and fierce! The world building was second to the romance but it was such a unique world. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the others.

Its been a few months since I started a book that I could not put down and stayed up til 4am to finish, and thankfully Silver Elite came along and had me doing just that. So many of my thoughts on this are spoilery, so I will just say that I absolutely loved this psychic powers. spicy enemies to lovers, fighting evil governments, dystopian book. I've already recommended it to people before I could even spit out coherent thoughts about it, and I will continue to do so. Definitely read this one!!

OKAY OKAY OKAY

I had a BLAST reading this. I was in it like I was 14 reading Divergent again. I couldn’t put it down. The MMC reminded me so much of Four (though maybe it’s just because I wanted to fancast Theo James)

The intrigue starts from the very beginning, the “magic” (it’s not magic but idk what else to call it) with the telepathy and mind reading and all of that was SO good, the romance was great, the banter had me giggling…truly stoked for the second book even though I am sus of EVERYONE.

Some of the decisions Wren made in the first 25-30% were really stupid/non sensical and right when I was just about fed up, things changed and we started rocking and rolling again so I’m settling on a 4.5 for this one!

Also if I have to see the word KEEN one more time, I might combust.

Thank you so much to the publisher for this advanced copy!! It’ll be out NEXT WEEEEEKKK

5 freakin star read! I LOVED THIS

Tropes
~ enemies to lovers
~ psychic modified humans
~ rebellion dystopian world
~ commander x undercover recruit
~ slow burn
~ spice 🌶️🌶️

𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚
I didn't know what to expect going into this book but as a fan of the hunger games and fourth wing this fits the aesthetic. In a world where Modified humans are frowned upon that they need to hide their powers from Primes. Our FMC is a Mod so when certain things happen she is forced to train for the Silver Elite, a special forces gig set by the Primes. Undercover she must navigate her way to survive or face exposing herself as a Mod.

Wren is a witty badass FMC with spunk, she's not afraid to open her mouth. I loved her as a character. She really meets her match when she encounters Cross, a grumpy hot commander who she needs to impress. Now one of my fav book boyfriends hehe. This book does have some spice, I especially loved the tension build up and flirty banter. The denying feelings is always a winner for me.

One side character I'm going to mention is Kaine.. OH MY. Hes Ridoc from FW basically, same banter and loves himself.

Some of the plot twists I had suspicion then there were some I didn't see coming at all. There are moments of heartbreak too so prepare yourself. I legit cannot wait for the next book as this is only the beginning. Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the writing style, I got hooked and couldn't out it down

Thank you to Del Rey UK for the arc copy

I finally finished this book after cycles of picking it up then putting it down again. Seeing all the positive reviews so far made me so excited to pick this one up.

While I did have fun reading this and I would say some could easily binge the book in one sitting, I ultimately felt like the characters were a bit two dimensional and I wasn’t entirely convinced about the romance. Some of the FMC’s choices throughout the book were quite questionable. I also thought that the last 20-30% of the book were a bit of a mess.

At first, the writing threw me off for some reason, but I eventually got used to it. Considering this is new adult, it reads more like YA at some points. I cringe at times, get frustrated other times.

Despite my qualms, I still had fun reading—kind of like watching a bad tv show knowing it’s bad but still continuing to watch it anyway?

Anyway, I think this will definitely become a new booktok favorite—perfect for fans of early YA dystopias like Divergent.

Thank you so much Penguin Random House for this digital galley. All thoughts are mine.

OK. This is one for the Divergent fans who have been desperately searching for their new adult dystopian romance series obsession, (she is me, I am said searcher)!

This is everything I could have hoped for and more from the first book in a new dystopian romance series! We’ve got a strong, sarcastic, capable, and at the same time impulsive and sometimes reckless FMC. We’ve got a grumpy, tattooed, (yes I did personally think of of Four from Divergent - but with extra charisma), deliciously flirtatious MMC. We’ve got corrupt politics that give Divergent/Hunger Games vibes but is at the same time completely its own thing. A corrupt system/class system/political leaders/uprising/revolution. There are those who are Primes, (humans who are immune to the bio toxin that nearly wiped out the Earth’s population 150 years ago), and those who are Modified, (humans who were enhanced by the toxin, resulting in them developing psychic gifts) - creating an interestingly new dystopian and political landscape. There’s found family in the most unlikely of places. There’s betrayal, twists and turns and plot twists to catch you off guard. There’s hidden abilities, hidden identity, training and task scenes (think Dauntless vibes from the Divergent series), in a school/training camp/facility setting. There’s secret enemies to lovers, with slow burn and the most delicious spice (that adds to the plot). And don’t even get me started on the yearning, pining and banter?! 😮‍💨
I feel like my only potential criticism is that I could’ve asked for more background with regard to the world building, because I’m genuinely so intrigued to learn more about this world and everything that happened previously to get us to where we are to day in terms of this first book. But as you can see it hasn’t swayed my enjoyment or rating or this book at all! 😅

Overall, this debut novel and first book on a new series had me on my toes throughout. I couldn’t put it down but at the same time tried to read it as slowly as I could because I just didn’t want it to end! Don’t even get me started on the ending and that cliffhanger…?! I genuinely cannot wait for the next instalment of this series. If like me, you’ve been a fan of the Divergent, The Hunger Games and Maze Runner series (or their film adaptations), and you’ve been looking for your latest fix, (but make it adult and spicy and something that is completely it’s own), you need to give this book a go!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Del Rey for an arc of this book.

Silver Elite. Where do I start? I was sucked in from the first page and was curious to see how this New Adult book would compare to all the popular series flooding the bookstores.

Dani Francis debut novel is set in an urban dystopian world where people with psychic abilities are deemed dangerous and often executed for holding such power. The world we are introduced to is fractured with many not trusting “modified” people like our FMC Wren.

Our FMC Wren is impulsive and can be quite frustrating at times. Many of the decisions she makes are without thought and the results of those poor choices are often devastating. I hope to see her character grow and learn from past mistakes and stop being so trusting of others. With her special powers hidden, Wren has to be extremely careful when around others as it could lead to her demise.

Cross Redden our MMC and Commanding Officer. He is in charge of Wrens training and I will admit, I have fallen for this man. He knew how to push Wrens buttons but was often willing and ready to clean up her mess whilst protecting her. Cross is an interesting character with many layers and I am interested to see how his character develops in book 2.

The chemistry that Cross and Wren have is undeniable. It can be fair to describe their initial meeting as insta lust, but I enjoyed their banter and the development of their relationship.

With a large cast of side characters, it’s hard to know who to trust as they are all out for themselves. Their roles in the book do not over shadow Wren and Cross story, and I am looking forward to learning more about them.

Whilst Silver Elite is advertised for New Adults, I found the book comparable to YA books and it’s quite an easy read. The world building is simple and easy to understand which is a plus for those who are not familiar with this genre. And for those who are, you will be pleased to find that all your favourite tropes are in this book.

I loved this book. I loved the plot and the characters and lost myself whilst reading. I did feel a lot of sadness for certain characters and anger towards others. It was an emotional rollercoaster with a hint of a love triangle and I couldn’t get enough. The plot twists were easy to spot but nevertheless, I still enjoyed them and I am itching for the second book.

Read if you enjoy:
- Plot Twists
- Dystopian Society
- Morally Grey characters
- Spice
- Secret Rebellion

Thank you so much Netgalley and Random House Worlds/ Del Rey for a copy of the e-arc.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The world, the characters and the romance. All so good! The FMC in this book is a little firecracker called Wren. She is smart, capable and feisty. For me she was one of the best parts of the book. Would definitely recommend this book to a friend and I cannot wait for book 2!!!

This book is everything I wanted in a new dystopian series. There's action, suspense, mystery, plot twists and romance, seriously, what more could you want? This book had me picking it up at every available moment just to read that little bit more! Francis did an excellent job of bringing the characters and world to life, I found myself struggling with who to root for as a lot of the characters are likeable, sassy, sarcastic and funny.
This book filled the gap in my life that was left from series' such as Hunger Games, Divergent and Maze Runner.
A truly fantastic debut novel, I am avidly awaiting book 2 and book 1 isn't even released yet!!

This was a NetGalley gifted eARC. Thank you!

Well, this had me kicking my feet, biting my nails, grinning ear to ear and laughing out loud. This ride was fast, fun and wild.

Wren (fmc) is modified, an outcast in society who must keep her abilities hidden from her enemies, aka primes. She is forced to attend training for Silver Block (run by the enemy) by the son of the General, Cross (mmc).

Wren, was thoughtful but also supremely reckless & bold but not suicidal. She toed the line many a time- keeping this book intense and exciting. Cross is dominant, mysterious and swoonworthy. The chemistry is A+.

Read Silver Elite if you like-
- a new and interesting political world
- hidden psychic powers
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- school/ campus setting
- uprising
- debut novel

This also had a fantastic ending leading you to ask yourself so many questions and wanting book two asap!

Again, thank you so much for the eARC:)

This book blew my mind!!

It was face paced and kept me engaged the entire time. I had less than 20% left and new things were still happening! It was written so well and the timing of each major event keeps the reader wanting more.

It has it all: a secret, a competition, a love interest, a betrayal. Literally everything!

No complaints or criticisms other than I now have to wait for the next book to come out.

I will be reading more by this author! Thank you Random House Worlds and NetGalley for this ARC.

Spice: extreme (multiple descriptive open door scenes)
Language: lots and all the words
Method of Consumption: Kindle
Published: May 6 2025

5 ⭐️ and 3🌶️

🖤It’s giving a mix of Fourth Wing, Hunger Games, and X-men, in the BEST of ways.
🖤Badass, independent FMC
🖤Spectacular world-building
🖤Dystopian Romantasy
🖤 Slowburn
🖤ENEMIES/RIVALS to lovers
🖤🌶️🌶️🌶️
🖤A MUST READ. I’m serious. Go add it to your TBR now

This story is like if Fourth Wing, Hunger Games, and X-men had a baby together, and it’s living its best 20 year old life. I didn’t know what I was getting into when starting to read this, but I quickly realized this was going to be one of my favorite books of 2025. The world building is insane. The author has a fantastic way of explaining things, it feels like these places and people are real. The characters are amazing, the plot had me gripping my book the entire time… this HAS to be the newest best read for any Romantasy lover. The spice scenes were the perfect amount and made sense with the story. At this point, I just have no clue how I’m going to be able to wait for the next 2 books. A must read.
.
Thank you to @authordanifrancis , @netgalley and to @delreybooks for the gifted ARC. Now I will be stalking you on NetGalley for when the next two books release. 😆🖤

Crashing out. Someone cast Theo James in this movie rn.

Full Review: ARC from NetGalley 5 stars ⭐️
This is my top 1 or 2 read of the year so far I am so impressed with this book, 2010 dystopian books are so back!!

I’ve seen this series described as fourth wing x divergent x hunger games and although I definitely see why, I think that comparison does this book a disservice because it is uniquely its own. It has the fast paced, cutthroat training, trainer x trainee, fall for the enemy themes of fourth wing. Has the futuristic dystopian setting with uninhabitable areas, work camps, military-esque setting, uprising themes of divergent. And the “districts”, uprising, military control of hunger games.

Plus Cross, your MMC is basically Four (Theo James) with the charisma and personality of Rhys x Xaden. Think VEXINGGG!

Your FMC is basically Katniss but secretly trained since a child to be a badass sharpshooter / fighter / the best ever.

And their banter & slow burn & pining is what I expected if Theo James had been cast with literally anyone other than Shailene Woodley. 🥵 hot.

There was definitely a twist I saw coming, but I didn’t mind because it was fun waiting for the characters to figure it out & loved the response when they did. There were other twists I didn’t see coming that added a lot to the story.

This book has to blow up, it is so good, I was hooked from the very start and could NOT put it down. This is such an incredible debut from the author and I can’t wait for the rest of the series.

Dystopian romance lovers, READ THIS!!

𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆 by Dani Francis

Thank you @netgalley and @authordanifrancis for a #gifted eARC of this amazing read!

𝓣𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼
All the stars!! I am calling it now that this will be a top 10 read of the year for sure. Sometimes I find myself rushing to get through books, but I SLOWED down with this one. I wanted to soak up all the details and savor every interaction, character, and plot twist thrown my way. And while I wanted to savor and slow down, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Truly addicting read! I lost too much sleep with this book. I couldn’t put it down.

I loved all the military aspects…. training, bases, fatigues, undercover ops, jumping out of airplanes, call signs all in an immersive dystopian world. I ate it all up. And the tension between Wren and Cross was perfect. There are so many aspects that I love but I don’t want to give anything away. If you love dystopian stories and love a good slow burn romance, you should add this to your tbr!

I could see this series turned into a movie! It has divergent x hunger games vibes.

𝓕𝓪𝓿𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼
Wren- our cunning, powerful FMC who tries to hide her abilities and survive.
Cross- our broody commanding officer who has secrets of his own. He calls her 𝘥𝘰𝘷𝘦.
Kaine- a flirty, fun side character with lots of secrets up his sleeve. He calls her 𝘤𝘰𝘸𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭.

𝓥𝓲𝓫𝓮𝓼
𝘋𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 1
𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴
𝘋𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯
𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺
𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘤 𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴
𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘺
𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘣𝘢𝘥*𝘴𝘴 𝘍𝘔𝘊
𝘎𝘖𝘙𝘎𝘌𝘖𝘜𝘚 𝘮𝘢𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

I picked up Silver Elite before bed thinking I’d read a few chapters… and then suddenly it was 7 a.m. and I had finished the entire book in one sitting. I couldn’t stop reading.

This book is completely addictive. From the very first page, I was hooked - my eyes glued to the page, heart racing, and mind reeling. Dani Francis has delivered the adult dystopian romantasy I didn’t know I needed.

The story has everything I love: fast-paced action, hidden identities, secret powers, a brewing rebellion, an elite training academy, fierce and complex main characters, forbidden love, and tension that builds in the best possible way. The emotional rollercoaster, the plot twists, and especially the ending left me absolutely stunned.

I was swooning, gasping, and internally screaming the whole way through. If you’re looking for a high-stakes dystopian romantasy with rich world-building and nonstop momentum, Silver Elite needs to be on your radar.

Hmmm, I don't know what to say.
It reads like a tiktok pick (which isn't a bad thing per se). Some bits were interesting, some bored me to death.
If you're into typical tiktok fantasy, its perfect for you. But for me, its starting to become annoying and repetitive.