Look, this is not that deep. And who wants that, really? Silver Elite is a trashy summer romantasy read piggybacking off of Fourth Wing with a dystopia slant, and that's fine. Cross is a stupid name for a love interest, but so is Xaden and I liked Cross more. Yes, the plot falls apart in the last quarter to get the characters where they need to be at the end, and who cares?

Not I. This is not a remarkable, groundbreaking read. It's an escapist romp meant to make a plane ride go faster and I appreciate that for what it is.

This book definitely scratches the itch for anyone looking for a nod to 2010s dystopian fiction! It’s reminiscent of Divergent, Red Queen, and Shatter Me. Tons of twists, secret identities, and betrayals that leave us guessing and waiting for the next book! It’s aged up a bit and includes more intimacy than the older YA dystopian books I referenced, so it’s a great fit for someone in the more NA space.

I enjoyed this book and am happy to see that dystopian is having a resurgence moment. While it does follow a lot of the similar dystopian patterns, I really enjoyed the characters and how the story unfolded. It didn't quite hit as good as Red Queen or Hunger Games, which are my absolute favorites but it was a fun journey that I look forward to continuing.

4 stars! I feel dystopia is making a huge comeback recently, and this book is the perfect example of that! It’s absolutely perfect for those of us who grew up on the hunger games & divergent!

It was extremely entertaining to read, I found it quite predictable, but it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed reading this. Sometimes the academy setting can make it boring or repetitive but I found these chapters some of my favourites!

The banter was 10/10, wren is the perfect FMC and had me giggling out loud. The sexual tension was delicious and the cliff hanger had me screaming so I fear I need book 2 already. The angsty enemies to lovers had my toes curling and the relationship development between wren and cross was really well written.

So excited for the next book!

Silver Elite was totally predictable. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters. Lackluster Romeo and Juliet like theme. War is bad. Both sides do bad things. Humans are scared of people different than themselves.. But hot sex makes all the bad exhilarating…
Meh. It’s been done before so much better. I will not read book 2.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Thank you to netgalley for this arc! This is a dystopian book with romance, hidden identities and a basically school setting (military training program). I think it was a very fun read, and I am excited to see where the series go. I wasn't a huge fan of the romance, or maybe it was the MMC I didn't like, and sometimes I didn't understand why the characters would do as they did, but overall I think this was a good start to the series and I am 100% going to read the next one.

This book was genuinely one of the worst experiences I've had as a reader. It felt as though it was trying to be a dystopian book like Divergent or The Hunger Games but instead of it being about fighting against the oppressor, it was about falling in love with them? I did not enjoy myself.

Enjoyable enough to read through, this reminded me a lot of Forth Wing. Relied very heavily on popular tropes and plots, and very predictable all around. Not a bad book, just nothing new and nothing terribly memorable about it. I mostly read it due to the buzz surrounding who the author could possibly be.

This book is a little bit Divergent mixed with a little bit of Fourth Wing tossed with a serving of Mockingjay. It's got steamy love scenes, authentic friendships, well timed revelations, and I'm excited to read the next book in the trilogy. Highly recommend!

✨Review ⬇️✨

🕊️ Silver Elite
By Dani Francis

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🖤One of my favorite books of the year! This book is action packed and won’t allow you to kick your feet up and relax for one second! Keep you guard up at all times, because anything can happen. Don’t get comfortable because no one is safe.

🖤 If you loved Divergent and The Hunger Games series but wish there was a some spice sprinkled over it, this is your next read!

♥️ The cliffhanger this book will leave you with in INSANE and I am desperately waiting for Book 2…… I will toss every other book aside to read it once it arrives (in like a year?!?!….maybe?!?!?)

🕊️ Trust no one.
🕊️ Lie to everyone.
🕊️ And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.

🖤 I don’t even know which genre to categorize this into: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Enemies to Lovers…. It’s got a little bit of everything. If you’re a mood reader that just wants action this will definitely scratch that itch.

💬 Favorite quotes:
“I would rather fight a cougar barehanded than subject myself to an uncomfortable exchange. Truly.”

“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”

“We spent our whole lives loving each other from a distance. We can do it for a little while longer.”

💬Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

✨ Read this if you like:
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
♥️ Fantasy/ Romantasy
🖤 Dystopian/ Sci-Fi
♥️ Psychic Powers
🖤 Secrets
♥️ Action

This book was a fun time, but nothing new and groundbreaking. It felt formulaic and nostalgic for YA dystopia but aged up.

I think this book was a super fun read. I think this book might be five stars on re-read but it took me so long to read this book just due to life and being busy. the main character i really liked and the story gave me last of us and ellie vibes. i think this book also gave me fourth wing vibe. i think this book was a fun and quick time!!

An enthralling dystopian read! Loved the world building and power element, I picked who Wolf was but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

I went into Silver Elite knowing dystopian isn’t usually my favorite genre, and I definitely struggled with some of the world-building and harsh setting aspects. The oppressive regime and political intrigue sometimes felt a bit overwhelming and made it harder for me to fully connect.

That said, the characters - especially Wren and Cross - were really well done. Their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance had genuine chemistry and emotional depth, which kept me hooked. The psychic abilities added a cool twist, and the training sequences brought a tense, engaging energy.

Overall, it’s a strong start to the series with lots of potential, even if dystopian elements aren’t my personal cup of tea. Fans of Fourth Wing or gritty romance will likely enjoy this much more than I did.

THIS WAS SO ADDICTING!!! I genuinely could not put it down. The tension between Wren, Cross, and Kaine was fantastic. I loved the Wolf/Daisy connection - so happy I predicted that correctly!

Wren’s inner monologue did get a bit repetitive and dull, which took me out of the story a little, hence the 4 stars. I can’t wait for book 2!

3.5*
Francis has jumped on the romantasy bandwagon with her first book in her Silver Elite. series. It's set in a dystopian world where people called Modifieds have special powers are hunted and killed. These Mods are identified by a mark on their skin and the telltale glow in their veins when they use their power. Wren is unique and because her veins don’t glow but also her mark is covered by a scar, allowing her to live undetected. When her uncle is captured and accused of being a rebel, she comes under suspicion but evades exposure. Then, surprisingly, the authorities recruit her as a trainee for the exclusive Silver School. Wren wants to get kicked out of the school but learns she will be returned to the stockade if she leaves. The commander is Cross Redden, son of the brutal leader who had commanded that all Mods be killed. Unsurprisingly, the antagonism between Cross and Wren turns into passion.

There are numerous popular tropes at play and the dystopian world is only superficially presented, yet the characters are fascinating. Some developments toward the end may disappoint but there are also some that will lift the plot. Though not a standout book, it is one that holds the readers’ interest and will satisfy anyone looking for sizzling encounters.

This book has really helped to fill the void left by Fourth Wing. While it had some similar themes and predictable fantasy tropes I absolutely loved it. It was nice to have a story with a slightly different twist in the romantasy scene and I very much enjoyed the Divergent feeling. I so feel like this book deserves justice as it was marketed as a dystopian novel like the adult verson of the hunger games and I just don't think it was either of those things which has left some readers disappointed. It's more like if Violet Sorrengail could read minds and I absolutely loved that concept.

In classic dystopian fiction the main character Wren Darlington is THAT girl. She's an Aberrant, a mutated human with psychic powers, except get this, her powers are more powerful than anyone else. She lives with her adopted father figure, Uncle Jim, on a ranch in the middle of nowhere in a post-radiation ravaged North America. That all changes when her uncle is recognized as a defected military soldier and sentenced to die. Wren goes to the capitol city to try and save him and in the process gets captured and forced into the military, forced to enter the ranks of the Silver Elite. And let us not forget her commanding offer, Cross, is the hottest man she's ever seen and can't help but crumple like a wet paper bag every time he looks at her.

I'm an old vet when it comes to YA/NA dystopian fantasy and I can't say anything about the plot of this book surprised me. The plot and motivation are flimsy in some areas, like the author made last minute edits to explain why characters knew something or ended up in a certain place. The writing was decent, if cringy at times making me literally roll my eyes but over all I was entertained and the pacing kept me hooked until the end.

"Silver Elite" by Dani Francis is a dystopian romance that has everything you could want; from the need to keep turning those pages to a cliffhanger ending, readers will be thoroughly entertained.

While there is mixed reviews on this one, I think it was a stellar story for a debut author and I am looking forward to book 2.

Fans of romantasy and enemies to lovers will enjoy this one.

Thank you Del Rey for selecting me for this ARC. I enjoyed it.

thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

i really liked the world that this author created! i don’t read a lot of dystopian, but this made me want to read more.

however, wren drove me CRAZY! usually main characters will say everything that’s going wrong is their fault and it isn’t true. but in this one it is. EVERY. SINGLE. THING. that went wrong in this book was directly related to her own actions. i honestly started to feel bad for cross because he kept having to clean up all her messes.

the last three chapters really grabbed my attention so i’ll probably read the next book, but wren almost ruined it for me.