I absolutely loved this book! A dark, thrilling dystopian adventure that hits all of the right notes. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Shatter Me, and the Hunger Games.

Silver Elite by Dani Franvis, published by Random House World / Del Rey, is the first installment in a trilogy
A dystopian fantasy romance. This is an enemmies-to-lovers romance, the introduction to chracters, setting and storyline.
There's a lot going on right from the start, it took me a minut to get it all sorted out in my head.
All in all an ok read, ends in cliffie and the story continues in the next book.

Wren is a silverblood. And under the general's reign, if anyone found out, she's be done for. Silverbloods have dangerous gifts. Telepathy, empathy, mind reading, and other more dangerous mind altering abilities. It's important that she and her uncle keep a low profile. But when she draws a little too much attention to herself, its not long before she's drawn into a world she never wanted to be part of of. A world that includes the too handsome son of the general, Cross Redden. Now she's working for a secret group of silverbloods while training to be a member of society's finest soldier class, the Silver Elite. Her alliances are challenged at every moment and one wrong turn could end her. Francis' world-building will draw romantasy readers in and the chemistry between the leading characters will have them unable to put the book down. With a fast-paced prose and slight dystopian theme, Silver Elite is a great read for fans of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone or Lauren Robert's Powerless.

I wan't sure what I was stepping into when I started, and it took a chapter or two to grow comfortable but once I was, the story flew. The FMC is great. Yes, there's a few occasions where you want to say "What are you doing?!" but it's just enough to build a little frustration without making you hate every move she makes. She does not often fit the trope pitfall of annoyingly stubborn FMC. The reader grows to love the MMC right along with the FMC. My distrust broke down right along with the FMC's. There are surprises along the way, and times of laughter. Joy as well as sadness. And the ending...it's a cliff hanger but you feel a satisfying excitement for more, not a feeling of dissatisfied incompleteness. I really enjoyed Silver Elite and can't wait for the next book! I will definitely be buying the trophy hard copy! (Thanks Net Galley for the ARC opportunity!!)

4.5 stars!

WOW this was fun. As I was reading this I realized it's been a while since I read a dystopian book, and I missed it! I thought this world was super interesting with the Primes vs the Mods and different types of Mods. I also liked the training/academic setting of the Silver Block Wren had to join, and I also felt that Wren was a very capable and interesting character. I also really liked the romance (calling her Dove because it's also a bird name has my heart) and I had to stop multiple times to read my friend dialogue because I was giggling and blushing.

The ONLY reason why this wasn't a five star is that the FMC makes an absolutely terrible decision that has terrible ramifications and legitimately made me feel so viscerally angry, but I will 100% be sat for this sequel, especially with that ending???

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Worlds for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I normally don't seek out military/dystopian fiction but I was HOOKED on this book the entire time.

Wren definitely does some stupid stuff but she is young so the flaws reflect her age. Very emotional and decisions are based on those emotions. Her relationship with Jim was well written and that was a sad moment for me. This is how a enemies to lovers book is supposed to be. Not insta anything and we read for the journey not the ending.

I will PRAISE this author for how government/leadership is portrayed in this book. Both sides are wrong.. there is no talking one side up and both Mod and Primes make horrible decisions for the sake of winning the war. And I like how that opens Wrens eyes to how both sides are playing.

I would definitely recommend it to those who enjoyed Divergent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds | Del Rey for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

This book was like if Fourth Wing meets Divergent and I really enjoyed it!!!
In all honesty, I struggled with the first 10% of this book. I think that I would have preferred more world building and explanations within that first 10% rather than our FMC having just finished an “escapade” with someone who didn’t add a value to the story. It also made her feel like a completely different character than who & what she actually turns out to be later in the story. After that first 10% thought I was HOOKED!! Some things I did like about this book was the dystopian style setting, the longing between the FMC and MMC was delicious, the military style setting, and the powers/ mods that some of the characters had. Some things I didn’t like was the insta lust over the FMC. At one point she said that the FMC was so beautiful that he would have been better whore which I thought was a little unnecessary. The ending of the book leaves off a a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to find out what happens next for everyone!

4.25 stars!!

i loved this so much! this was a great sci-fi/fantasy read. gave out some divergent & hunger games vibes. some good spice in there too! a certain group of people with psychic abilities (mods) are spouted as the enemy. wren spends her life in hiding with her uncle, but one day he gets captured and her whole life changes. she’s forced to join a program for elite solders. she also joins the uprising. she has some serious chemistry with the captain of the program, BUT he’s the son of the general. the reason the people she loves are dead.

Arc review:

"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 to restrain yourself."

When I got the approval through for this arc I absolutely lost it - this was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I cannot thank NetGalley, and Random House, enough for the chance to read it pre-release.

I finished it a couple of days ago and all I want is to read more of it. I know people are going to love this and the series is going to be completely devoured (by me especially).

I don't even know where to start. The introduction to the dystopian world is done so well, it wasn't overwhelming or too complex, I followed along easily from the start and it made it easy to pick up on the additional elements such as the psychic/modded ablilities a lot easier.

Romance wise, I'm not sure which element of it was my favourite - we have commanding officer X recuit, enemies to lovers, forbidden romance and tension was...tense. This wasn't lost within the wider plot, but it also didn't smother the rest of the plot - it was a good balance of a romance developing under the most unconventional/inconvenient circumstances for our main characters whilst not losing the high-stakes of the undercover/rebellion elements.

The protagonists are stubborn, and witty, and our supporting characters add a depth that has us questioning the complexity of the world they are living in, especially the interactions with Wren whilst nobody knows she is modified. I loved it and I know that there's so much that can be unfolded and built upon.

Overall, I'm sure it can still be developed but I hope readers will get behind it because the concept, and the characters have SO much potential and I would love to see where Francis takes them next.

⭐ 2.5 - 3 stars
You've read this before and it was probably done better. This is definitely Fourth Wing but lacking the cool dragons and that nostalgic charm that harkens back to early 2010's dystopia like Divergent. The main love interest is even an incredibly tall and attractive, black-haired, tattooed son of a general who's her enemy. Not that that is particularly unique to Fourth Wing as well but the parallels are undeniable, especially as the story takes place within an academy-esque setting and later story details are revealed. It's simply undeniable that there was some copied homework here...Which I know isn't a drawback for everyone. If you'd like something similar to Fourth Wing, the same tropes but with worse writing, you might actually enjoy this!

2.5-3 stars is a mediocre-ish rating for me so I don't think it's terrible! I feel as though I could have ignored how expected/cookie-cutter the main characters were if the writing weren't lackluster. While not the worst I've ever read, it is incredibly mediocre at best and sometimes just distractingly cringe. The book is also uninterested with the world/genre it is writing within. There isn't really any message or meaningful critique of systems of government within the novel, which isn't bad, just disappointing as I found the romance (the actual main focal point) to be equally as flat.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Silver Elite had me reminiscing on the heyday of dystopia media. It’s been so long since I’ve gotten the chance to read a dystopian novel, so this was a lot of fun.

We start off with Wren, who has secret powerful psychic abilities that if discovered, would result in her death or enslavement. Wren ends up far from her ranch, training for an elite military force, hiding her secret with even higher stakes.

The world of Silver Elite was very interesting, but limited in its scale because of the access our narrator had to information. I’m looking forward to reading future installments of this series, as there is already a ton of promise about expanding the world based on the cliffhanger. Good dystopia high needs stakes, and Silver Elite definitely has high stakes. I have a little confusion about the reasoning behind the fates of a few different side characters and it got a little old reading about a protagonist that’s good at everything, but nothing that would stop me from continuing this series. Plus, to be fair, the protagonist’s fatal flaw is her impulsiveness, and that did add some dimension to her characterization. The romance subplot was enjoyable and tastefully spicy as well (note - despite this emulating big YA dystopian novels, this book is NOT young adult and does not claim to be).

Ultimately I found this to be a little too derivative of titles like The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing, but because I enjoy those books, it was fine. This is Dani Francis’s debut novel, and I think based on Silver Elite, she shows a lot of promise. I would definitely recommend this to fans of 2010s dystopia.

This book was everything. Definitely in my all time top 5.

The plot, dystopia, romance, slow burn, the characters... So good.
All the emotions. The end….!!!! No spoilers but man I got a big smile on my face when what happened in the last couple of pages happened.
I cannot wait for book two.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!!

2.5 stars and that’s being generous.

i’m upset i didn’t enjoy this as much as i wanted to because unfortunately, while i love reading dystopian novels, dystopian fiction has made a huge come back due to the recent socio-political climate. so when i saw that silver elite was an adult dystopian novel, i was ready to ravenously eat it up.

well, i could barely touch this book. the writing is extremely juvenile and unserious despite the sense of urgency the author creates for readers. of course, since this is a dystopian ROMANCE, there was a heavy emphasis on the lust/smut… which is exhausting at this point. believe you me, i enjoy a good smut scene or two or five in a novel, but PLEASE actually have extensive world building and character development before diving into bed? it’s disappointing when a book with potential is thrown away for the unnecessary smut scenes.

i still don’t understand the difference between modified and abberant individuals, why they are so feared aside from their powers, especially if they have been crushed under the thumb of the general of this world.

and of course, the foreshadowing of who “wolf” actually was so easy to piece together if you’ve read so many similar novels like i have, that i immediately put two and two together. it would have been nice if the author led readers astray and let us think someone else was wolf before the big reveal, but alas, she did not and i was disappointed but not surprised.

while i’m positive this book will find its audience, it’s certainly not me.

This will be the next big hit in the Romantasy genre, y’all. I’m calling it.

5/5 stars!!!

I DEVOURED this book.

- Dystopian setting
- Self assured FMC
- Telepathy???!!
- MMC who isn’t afraid of confident females
- Training for military operations done RIGHT!


I was never bored throughout this book. I constantly had to figure out what was going to happen next. I found myself sacrificing sleep to just “get a little further in the book” then had to slow down because I didn’t want the book to end.

Wanting book two IMMEDIATELY, and then realized this one isn’t even out yet.

You’re not going to want to miss out on this one! Out in May 2025.

Thank you to the publisher for the E-ARC 🩷

I have mixed feelings about this book. The beginning dragged quite a bit, with too many info dumps that made it hard to stay engaged. Wren also wasn’t the easiest character to like at first—her decisions were frustrating, and I struggled to connect with her. But once the story found its rhythm, it completely pulled me in. The action was gripping, the romance had plenty of tension, and Wren’s character growth made me appreciate her much more by the end. While the pacing wasn’t perfect, the second half made up for it, leaving me eager to see what happens next. Fans of Divergent or fast-paced dystopian fantasy with strong heroines will likely enjoy this one. Flawed but still an enjoyable read—I’m giving it 4 stars.

Easiest 5 stars I’ve given a book in years. If this came out in 2012, everyone would have gone crazy over its similarities to divergent, the hunger games, shatter me, etc., so it’s really disappointing to see a lot of reviews labelling it as a “rip off” of those titles. For me it combined all the best features of that genre. I’m not usually a sci-fi reader but the world building, the characterisation, the romance was so deep and interesting, I couldn’t help but fall in love.

I did guess the main plot twist right at the start of the book BUT Dani did such a good job of making it seem like it couldn’t be true that I abandoned my instinct and forgot about it. BUT I WAS RIGHT and now I feel like I need to reread the whole book from a new perspective.

I was just honestly on edge all of the time with this book, the plot constantly keeps you on your toes.

5 STARS, MAYBE 6?

WOW I am nothing short of OBSESSED. Dystopian is SO BACK and mark my words, this book is going to blow up when it releases. The level of excitement I have for this series and its potential is through the freaking roof, because this book was a masterpiece in my eyes and I cannot stop thinking about it.

I fell in love with YA dystopian books years ago, and this adult dystopian romance was EVERYTHING I needed to fall back in love with the genre all over again. The way I devoured this book!!! Putting it down was simply not an option.

From the twists and turns, to the high stakes, to the lies & betrayal, this book truly had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. This was fast paced, addictive, and brimming with action and swoonworthy romance. While this had some of your typical dystopian elements, this book still felt original and unique in its own way. I also loved that this book was equal parts romance and plot, both perfectly paced and equally captivating.

Now let’s talk about the romance because BOY, did this DELIVER. The steamy tension, the witty banter, their undeniable chemistry - I was giggling and screaming at every interaction. But even more, I loved their guarded hearts, their tough exteriors, and their fear of complete vulnerability and trust, because it just made their love story that much sweeter and all the more epic.

I could go on and on about everything else I loved in this book: the main characters, the nostalgia I felt reading it, the plot twists, the STRESS of that ending, not to mention the cliffhanger. But I’ll just end by saying this: PLEASE GO ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR AND READ IT WHEN IT RELEASES MAY 6th - you’ll thank me later!!

Thank you to Net Galley, Del Rey and of course the author for an eARC!!

Silver Elite is an engaging book. As a "new adult" title it really does have that feeling of halfway between teen and adult. The characters and their relationships don't feel as deep as I usually like, and since that's the case, I do wish the plot had moved faster to make up for it. It picked up intensely toward the end though. I'm thinking that it was mostly set up for the next series that will have much more action. There's also not a really clear "good" side in the two factions, so be prepared for a lot of mixed feelings.

While I haven't held myself to a strict TBR this year, I loosely planned to read this one at the end of April. I quickly set everything else aside after @emilyisoverbooked started raving about it, and I'm glad I did! Silver Elite was FUN. I am a fantasy girlie, but before Bookstagram, I was an avid dystopian reader (The Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.). Silver Elite provided the same vibes in an adult package, and I liked that the FMC didn't put up with any crap.

I did feel that the elements that were supposed to be emotional and/or climactic were often missing depth that would have made this a 5-star read. That said, I'll definitely be recommending this one to others, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series when it's published.

A huge thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the early copy in exchange for an honest review!

If you're in a Fourth Wing slump, you need to read this! This is absolute perfection!!!!! The writing of this debute is done so well and I'm so impressed. While this isn't in the same realm as Fourth Wing with the dragons, this perfect if you like Hunger Games and Divergent. Enemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance, slow burn, uprising, secret identity, psychic abilities.