Silver Elite by Dani Francis

4.5/5⭐️
2/5🌶️ (spice)
1.5/3🦋 (swoon)

•My Thoughts•
I feel like I’m still staring into the void blinking. This was a non stop, action packed ride and that ending has me SO excited for more. The world building was well done and the dystopian vibes were absolutely fascinating. Our FMC, Wren is impulsive with the biggest heart and while she was sometimes (ok…all the time) reckless, she didn’t annoy me and I was rooting for her the whole time. I enjoyed the characters and the friendships and the dynamic of Wren being undercover but developing relationships with her enemies. Wren’s relationship with the MMC brought some great tension and swoony moments and I love their progression! I CAN NOT wait for the rest of this series (a trilogy?)! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to @authordanifrancis and @delreybooks for the early copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#silverelite #danifrancis #dystopianromance

What a rollercoaster of emotions!! Honestly. There were so many secrets and betrayal and heartache but the romance factor was on point. The tears were definitely flowing toward the end! Your girl Wren, was getting on my nerves at times though. I absolutely loved Wren & Cross's relationship. I can't wait to see how this story continues!!

You all can finally read this masterpiece. This dystopian read had it all, but also was very unique. I enjoyed it so much, constantly questioning who is right, who is wrong. Some parts had me gasping, other parts I was screaming! It held my attention, I also REALLY loved Kaine loool. His flirty attitude was so funny, but his friendship is amazing with our FMC Wren. But there’s also Cross, he can command me anyday. If you love dystopian reads, that keep you on your toes on every turn, then this is perfect for you!

If I can give this book 10 stars I would! This is going to be booktoks next sensation into this new dystopian trilogy. This books deserves the hype it can get! I want ppl screaming about this book this summer.

If you loved hunger games, divergent, maze runner and vibes of fourth wing, this book is for you! Like if those books had a baby together it would be this masterpiece!

This book already grabbed my attention from the first chapter to the end! This is bringing back dystopian and it will make you cancel your plans to read more because I kid you not I could not put this book down. I needed to know what was going to happen in each chapter as there is so much going on and the character development and training scenes were incredible.

Wren is such a badass FMC I really enjoyed her character and let’s just talk about Captain Cross Redden 🔥🔥 he is absolutely delicious. He is so possessive, powerful and ruthless I loved everything that came out of this man’s mouth. He will be on your top book BF list! 🥵

This was in fact a true enemies to lovers with lots of banter and the slow burn was done right in this book. Thank you to Del Rey for sending me an early copy of this 🫶🏼 I devoured it guys and I can’t wait for more readers to pick this baby up because this is going to be the next big thing to talk about!

This was such an amazing read. I went in with really high expectations after seeing loads of glowing reviews on TikTok, and somehow it still managed to surpass them. A solid 5 stars from me.

I was completely hooked. I went from 24% to finishing it in a day because I just couldn’t put it down. It was one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter”... and then suddenly you’ve finished the whole thing. Such a good time.

The writing style is great – really easy to follow – and the plot was clear, well-paced, and had me gripped the entire way through. The friendships, the romance, the action... everything felt really balanced. I often find books like this lean too much into either the fantasy or the romance, but this struck the perfect middle ground.

I did guess one of the twists, but there were definitely a couple I didn’t see coming at all. It kept me on my toes and delivered some proper shocks.

I loved the characters. Wren is a fantastic lead, and I was fully invested in the dynamic between her and Cross. The little comments from the test results were such a clever, fun touch too.

I didn’t want it to end. I was genuinely ready to start the next book the second I finished.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for the advanced copy. This is my honest, unbiased opinion.

And for anyone interested, it’s out today – definitely worth checking out!

Damn I absolutely loved this, it gave me Divergent vibes in the best way possible and I was in complete shock at the end, I definitely didn’t see it coming! I managed to pick up on some of the other reveals early but still loved it regardless and can’t wait for the rest of the series! Also gimme Cross right now.

The era of dystopian novels is finally back, and the genre is better than ever! Silver Elite felt like a nostalgic journey back to the early 2000s when books like The Hunger Games and Divergent dominated the book market. Combined with a good dose of romance, Silver Elite is definitely the hottest book this spring! I loved the characters—Wren, Jim, Kaine, and Cross—with a big plus for thorough character development. The plot is intriguing, and despite a few brief low-tempo moments here and there, it was mostly fast-paced throughout the book. Be prepared for several twists and turns along the way, heartbreak, and new love. Friendships and loyalties can shift at any moment. I can't wait to read book two. This was very, very good!

5 STARS
**Read twice

New favorite book of 2025 right here?????

Silver Elite follows Wren, a hidden *modified girl, who is trying to avoid notice of the government. The government is all-controlling, and people even suspected of helping rebel groups or having powers are executed. Although Wren is not a full member of the rebellion, she’s helped with multiple supply missions, and her uncle was an invaluable from asset. Wren also has four abilities as a mod, which is unheard of, and deadly. When her considerable weaponry skills get noticed by a guard, she’s placed in an Elite training group for the very government that kills her type. Of course, there’s also Cross, Silver Elite’s broody, but objectivity hot, commander, who is determined to make life difficult for her. In a deadly dance of secrets and love, can Wren beat the odds, all while keeping her secret? Or will she die trying?

Wren is honestly a character who is really relatable. She’s a bit cocky, but in the best badass way possible. She almost reminds me of Tory Vega from Zodiac Academy. The two of them both have the “don’t give a fuck” attitude that I absolutely love in fantasy characters. Cross… the moment you think he can’t get better, he does. Wren and Cross’s relationship is like a game of cat and mouse, with them switching roles frequently.

Overall, the writing style worked really well for me, which was a big plus. There were a couple of times where quality itself went down, but for a debut novel, this was really solid. The plot twists were a bit predictable, but I honestly didn’t mind it in this book.

I had really high expectations going into this one because of previous reviews that I’d read, and it lived up to the hype in every way possible. But that cliffhanger… yeah, I think Dani Francis will be getting my therapy bill after that. Not to mention that I also read this book twice before it was released, because it was that good???

*Modified people are people with special abilities

Features -
- Dystopian/Fantasy/Romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Secret identity
- Forced proximity
- Single POV
- Touch her and die
- Political plot
- First person
- Spicy

>> thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc - all thoughts are my own <3

🔮 Psychic Powers
🧪 Dystopian
⚔️ Elite Military Program
🗡 Enemies To Lovers
✨️ Wolf & Daisy 🐺🌸
💔 Betrayal & Loss

This book is AMAZING! If you loved Divergent like I did growing up, you'll love this kind of story!

I have emotional whiplash from this book. The last 30% especially. Oh my god. 😭 The relief, then the horror, then the excitement, then the sadness, it's an emotional rollercoaster for sure. The entire time you read this, you'll be tense lol.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is my honest feedback about the book as an avid reader.*

I need the next book. NEED IT. I absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes sci-fi, dystopian stuff. Oh man. I wish I could read this for the first time again. The whole thing was so well done. Easy 5 stars for me.

Huge thank you to the author & NetGalley for letting me read & review this book. 💜

So I’ve been thinking about how to rate this book, and I’m happy to round it up to a 4 ⭐️… to set the scene, Silver Elite gives MAJOR Divergent vibes, though in this world the “Divergent” people are much more common, were caused by a toxin during wars, and are called Modified/Aberrant/‘fects (depending on who is talking).
Wren is a mod, one with more than one talent, who faces a pretty traumatic event early and her impulsiveness earns her a sentence of government training and service.
Through training, she almost makes friends with people who hate her kind, masks her skills well, and takes an interest in the broody (hot), tattooed (even hotter) Command Officer. This book is mostly her debating whether to try her hardest to break out, give up, or pass the training. All while trying to figure out if the Uprising is as genuine and good as they say they are. I’m definitely anticipating the sequel(s) to pack even more punch as we learn more about this Uprising (that letter? Her parents? Why did they do that and were they right to do that?) and this world, but I felt like this is a great start to a new series!
If some of this seems familiar, yes there are threads of books like THG, Divergent, Shatter Me, and other dystopian novels, but I still really enjoyed it. I went from 20% finished to 100% finished during a 5 hour plane trip, so it definitely kept me engaged, excited, and racing to find out how it was going to end!
thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book, these are my own honest thoughts.

ARC REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Silver Elite had me on the edge of my seat and heart racing. I could not put this book down. I think I'm in love with Cross. His possessive and controlling demeanor is attractive. Wren is an absolute badass. She's cocky, sarcastic, and loyal. You will absolutely love the well written side characters too.

This is my new favorite book. I've been craving a book like this for years now. This dystopian romance brings back all the feels of Divergent. The tension and yearning paired with spice was perfect. If I could inject this book into my veins I would, it's addicting. I NEED BOOK TWO.

Tropes:
🕊️ dystopian
🕊️forbidden romance
🕊️ slow burn
🕊️rebellion
🕊️enemies to lovers
🕊️ he's obsessed with her
🕊️ strong FMC
🕊️academy
🕊️special abilities

Thank you Dani Francis, NetGalley, and Hambright PR For the e-ARC.

4.5⭐️

Dani Francis’ debut book Silver Elite features engaging writing as it blends fan favorite dystopians while still being unique. This dystopian book will allure to fantasy readers as well with tropes like enemies to lovers, forbidden romance, and secret identity. This was a fun book to read that hooked me from the first chapter! The world building was interesting, the plot was addictive, and the romance was romancing! I enjoyed Wren’s character, though at times I was definitely thinking she needs to get her head together making rash decisions and talking about how attractive or not attractive someone is. She is a loyal and smart person though. I loved the side characters in this book, and Wren’s interactions with them. Cross is an intense and cocky character. The tension and banter between him and Wren was good with even better spice! The middle of the book for me kind of slows with Wren trying to get into Silver Block, but the ending makes up for it with its fast pace and the twists and betrayals. I’m looking forward to seeing what the second book has in store! Definitely check this book out if you enjoyed Shatter Me, Divergent, and The Hunger Games!

Thank you to DelRey and NetGalley for the eARC.

Not me over here cruising along thinking “this is a nice story” then BAM! Now I’m over here cursing Dani Francis out for a Rebecca-Yarros-style cliff hanger.

Silver Elite has everything—heat, drama, betrayal, suspense. Read the book. I dare you.

Pub 5/6/25

#SilverElite
#DaniFrancis
#NetGalley

Wait, what do you mean? How am I supposed to carry on with my life knowing I’ll be waiting at least a year to see what happens next with Wren and Cross?! Silver Elite is for everyone who grew up reading the dystopian novels of the early aughts and wish the trend hadn’t died.

Following the last war, a contagion modified humanity. Some, the Primes, were not changed. The infected Mods (short for modified) have been given physic abilities that range from healing to minding reading to being able to control other peoples actions. The current General wants all Mods dead or serving under this command. If you’re a Mod found guilty of concealing your powers the punishment is death. Wren Darlington has hidden her powers her whole life, but when the Guard comes to her small village, she’s suddenly thrust into training for Silver Block. Hiding her powers and trusting no one are the only way she knows she can stay alive. What she doesn’t expect is to feel drawn to Cross Redden, the commander of Silver Block and the person she should fear the most.

This was such a bingeable book and I managed to finish this in two sittings - which is no small feat given it’s 500+ pages. The story immediately sucked me in and while it did take me a bit to wrap my head around some of the political things, the story was pretty straightforward and easy to follow once you come to understand the hierarchy of things. Wren was such a badass, but she also made some seriously questionable decisions which made me like her all the more. She wasn’t perfect, far from it, and that made her seem more relatable. Silver Elite reminded me so much of Fourth Wing (minus the dragons), so I really hope this becomes the next big thing. I can’t wait for the next book in the series and will absolutely reread this in the near future.

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for a review copy.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis is a romantasy with dystopian aspects. It follows Wren, a unique “Modified” who has multiple psychic gifts, some of which are extremely rare. At the start, Wren is captured while trying to save her uncle from death. As a result, she is forced to join the military she hates and works to help the Uprising movement from the inside. And of course her attraction to her commanding officer makes things complicated for both of them!

After recently reading other popular romantasy, I assumed this would not hold up to the hype. I was wrong! I enjoyed it more! I hope the second book is quick in coming as I’m eager to learn what will happen next for Wren!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 But rounding it up to 5!
🌶🌶 Adult spice
🩷🩷🩷 Romantic longing
⚔️ Fight scenes

The dystopian romance my adult heart has been craving!

My number 1 favourite genre is a dystopian romance, and this was exactly that. A post-war dystopian world with technology, some fantasy elements, a mutation power, faction syatems, and political wars. All that with a romance brewing.

We follow the FMCs single first person POV while she learns to navigate her life through a political war, while being the very thing her enemies want to exterminate.

Wren Darlington has mind control powers and finds herself thrust into an enemy training camp where she needs to hide her powers and try not to fall in love with her new captain.

🫶 THINGS I LOVED:
I absolutely loved the mind control powers. There are 8 different types, and each has a different fear attached to it. The FMC had 4 (I loved that she didn't have all 8 because it could feel predictable if she had). I was constantly trying to guess which characters had or might have had powers.
I also loved trying to figure out who her best friend was and where that person lived.
The romance was fun and enjoyable and had the right amount of spice for the characters' age.
Wren was fierce, capable, insecure, strong, and nervous.... she had mad skills but was also flawed, which made her character borh enjoyable and relatable.
I loved the chapter sizes - brief and to the point. No space wasted.

💔 THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE
There wasn't much I didn't like.
The romance could have had some more depth to it. It could have had some more risk and maybe some variety in the bedroom.
I didn't enjoy how some parts were extremely predictable... but at the same time, it was the sole reason I picked up this book (I LOVE dystopian romances, and they all have some element of predictability).

🤏 WHY IT LOST HALF A STAR:
This really did feel like Divergent coded with a Fourth Wing's romance. There were some unoriginal things that I felt could have had their own uniqueness.

📝 OVERALL OPINION:
I damn well loved this book. I enjoyed every single chapter. The writing style was perfection, and the scenes were very well thought out. One moment flowed seamlessly into the next, the timeline was spaced really well, and all the characters were written wonderfully.

❓️ WILL I READ IT AGAIN?
Absolutely. I will definitely be recommending this to all my dystopian romance lovers, and I will be reading book 2 the day I get it in my hands!

Those of us that grew up reading The Hunger Games and Divergent are going to die for this new dystopian world. Unlike those YA series, this is a New Adult series and also has some fantastic fantasy elements. I really enjoyed the world-building and the overall magic abilities that create the divide in society of Mods versus Primes.

I am not usually a fan of the instant-love/attraction type of romance, but it works very well in this one given something that is revealed later on. Elements of this relationship dynamic remind of Violet and Xaden from Fourth Wing, except if you reverse their social standing and family. He, however, is still a very arrogant commanding officer.

The training to get into Silver Block also reminds of the training required to bond with a dragon. It is very dangerous, there are trials that may kill recruits, and not everyone is guaranteed a spot. There are also some other elements that may have you feeling the same way you felt about Fourth Wing.

Wren finds a new family at the academy and this gets tested by the fact that she is everything that the Command hates. She struggles to relax and be herself while training undercover for the resistance yet wanting to be friends with these classmates that are people she enjoys. There are some fantastic twists in this story that I truly did not see coming. I know others have predicted them, but I enjoyed not seeing these happening until they hit.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is going to be a big one on Booktok and Bookstagram for sure!

Thank you to @delreybooks and @netgalley for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This book is another example of “dystopian is back!” See The Dividing Sky for a YA example!

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this! I’m quite picky with sci fi and dystopian based books because it is my bread and butter, and like someone who drinks the same cup of tea every day for years, I have grown quite particular about it. Writing style is fast, engaging, and the main character felt tough without it feeling performative or “I’m not like other girls,” a big bonus. Prose is simple and straightforward, world building feels easy to grasp (this is praise), and the male main character(s) had real chemistry with Wren. I say this to say, Silver Elite does not fall prey to the standard issue debut Romantasy traps many do, and I think the marketing is spot on. This feels like an intersection between Fourth Wing and The Hunger Games, and should be marketed aggressively, because I feel this has real potential to make a big bang.

I do have one stylistic note that you can take or leave, which is perhaps editing of pace could be touched on in future books, I did feel a little ripped around by the tempo of the plot development at times. The changes of pace did make reading interesting and unexpected, but there is growth potential in smoothing transitions and leading into and out of big scenes.

The Orwellian themes never feel heavy handed, and the book feels like a fresh breath in a genre that can get a little slogged down by ideals and ominous overtones. Great ideas and execution (oh no, I really am not trying to make a pun about the uncle, I promise), I can (and will) heartily recommend this book to fantasy and dystopian fans, and very much look forward to more books from Francis in the future! Thank you for allowing me to contribute to their debut, it is an honor!

BESTIEEEES YALL GONNA GO FERAL FOR THIS ONE !!!!
✨6 infinite stars!
- publish may 6, that’s tomorrow in a few hours !!!

honestly i can’t believe i finished this book I LITERALLY WANT MORE!!! i can’t wait for the next book!!! 😭😭

wren FUCKING BADD ASSS !!!! this girl don’t take NOTHING FROM NOBODY ! but she’s a sweetheart to those she loves!

cross OHHH BOY OH BOYYYYY OH BOY!!!! new book boyfriend UNLOCKED!! 🤭🤭🤭 his obsession for wren HMMMM I WAS SWOONING PLLSSS THIS MAN!!

this had me turning pages after pages, i just needed to know what was going to happen, and when i wasn’t reading this book i just kept thinking about it, now that i’ve finished it i don’t know what to do! i’m literally obsessed YALLLLL!!!! this book was sooo muchhhh fun i enjoyed everything about it. it’s also super easy to follow the world building the characters and everything was 10 OUT OF 10 !

ARC kindly provided by the publishers though NetGalley.
It's a 3.75 but I don't feel right giving it 4 stars.
This book gave me serious Fourth Wing vibes, as in fast-paced and addictive enough to keep me turning the pages. I liked the main character; she’s self-aware and consistent. It’s refreshing to see a protagonist who acknowledges her own flaws and actually acts in line with how she describes herself, instead of claiming to be “cold and calculated” while doing impulsive things like we often see in this genre. Still very much a "I'm not like other girls" type of MC.

That said, the last few chapters before she flees to the Blacklands were rough. Everything felt extremely rushed, like the author was cramming in info just to push the plot to a specific point. It pulled me out of the story and made what should have been a climactic moment feel forced.

Also, for a program called “Silver Elite,” the training felt... basic. I would’ve loved more detail about the classes and challenges Wren faced. It felt like a missed opportunity to show real growth or stakes within the academy setting.

Overall, it's a solid start and I enjoyed it, but I’m hoping for more depth and polish in the next one.