Silver Elite is giving Divergent all grown up with a shot of adrenaline, a dash of spice, and a heroine who could kill you with a paperclip.

Set in a brutal dystopian world where humans are split into “Primes” and “Modifieds” (Mods), it’s the kind of high-stakes, secret-identity setup that immediately pulls you in. And Wren? She’s not your typical “learn to be strong” girl. She’s already dangerous. She knows how to survive. She has to tone it down to pass as a Prime. And girls with that kind of competence? Yes please. She’s cunning, magnetic, and kind of terrifying in the best way. Her telepathic connection with a mysterious man she’s known most of her life is decidedly one of my favorite microtropes in this book. The other side characters shine too (if you loved getting attached to the tributes in The Hunger Games, you’ll vibe with this cast).

Now, let’s talk romance. Wren is training for a position under the command of Cross (cue the “he’s the broody, intense captain of the unit” trope), and their slow-burn, enemies-ish-to-lovers arc? Hot. Their banter is addictive, the tension is delicious, and yes, it’s spicy, especially in the second half. The dynamic is so charged you’ll be blushing and giggling like you’re a tween reading Divergent again… but this time with actual heat.

It’s easy to read, high-octane, and doesn’t waste a single scene. If you’ve been missing the dystopian fantasy romance of your YA days but want it with more grit, more steam, and an FMC who could stab you and you’d say thank you, Silver Elite is it!

i massively regret putting this off for so long, this gave me everything i hoped it would and more. i laughed, i cried, i gasped. i just wish the romance had been a little more slow burn.

What can I say about Silver Elite that hasn’t already been said? I know this book has caused a lot of controversy lately but personally, I loved it.

The characters?
The story?
The twists?
Amazing.

If I had to say anything even remotely constructive, it would be that I would have liked a little more explanation around the lore of the world, but this didn’t take away any enjoyment of the book for me.

Cross Redden, the man that you are.

In this dystopian world, Wren, a Mod, has to conceal the powers she holds - or risk death. So when she is forced to join Silver Block, an elite training programme for the military. When she meets Cross, a commanding officer, sparks fly… can she keep her powers hidden?

I LOVED this. It feels like it’s been a lifetime since I read a dystopian romance that truly gripped me, and this did exactly that. The tension between Wren and Cross was insane - enemies to lovers at its best.

I need the second book yesterday!

I read this mostly because I was curious why everyone was freaking out in booktok😂 But I don’t understand the hate! I thought it was a great start to a series. Literally binged it in two days and was sad when it was over.

I’m not 100% sold on Wren and Cross but I think that’s mostly due to the fact their relationship was heavily lust based throughout most of the book. I’m interested to see where it goes though after the ending!

The writing style felt a lot like fourth wing with similar vibes to divergent (her completing a series of tests to get into the army program) so if you enjoy those two things, I highly recommend this book.

This is a dystopian romance following Wren Darlington, a young woman who has spent her life honing and hiding her psychic abilities. As a mod human aiding the uprising, one small mistake puts her in enemy hands. Forced to join a cutthroat military training program, she aims to strike from within enemy ranks. As the stakes grow higher her most formidable obstacle becomes the infuriatingly irresistible Captain Cross. Wren must decide how far she's willing to go and what exactly is worth saving.
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The inciting incident of this novel hooked me. However Wren's training became tedious and there was a sense of deja vu with characters that weren't fleshed out enough. This was a dystopian romance yet I wished for deeper political commentary and romance instead of just lust.
Despite that the novel was still an entertaining page turner. Stories with an academic or military competitive setting will always grab my attention. I also loved Kaine's character!

If you like dystopian, action, or enjoy reads like Fourth Wing or The Hunger Games, then I'd recommend picking this up.

Rating = 3.75 stars
Thank you to Penguin Random House for the digital ARC.

FIVE STARS FIVE STARS FIVE STARS!!!!! Idk what was in this but it was freaking CRACK for me!! If this is trash then I’m a raccoon because I ate this shit up and could not and would not put it down! I need book two IMMEDIATELY

This book seems to be everywhere right now, and I was having FOMO so I had to pick it up. I had seen such mixed reviews online, some people raving and loving this book and others saying it was a one star read. I went in with lower expectations and I had a really good time with it. I do love a training academy setting and all the banter between recruits, so I loved the setting for this book. Wren was a fun FMC and there was only one part in the book where I really questioned why she did something. Parts of the story were easy to guess but there was a twist towards the end that made me gasp. The writing was not the greatest and there was not a lot of world building, but the storyline was fast paced, and I loved the vibes. Reading is about having a good time with a book, and I had fun with this one. I will definitely continue this series.

The premise of this book was straightforward and the story was compelling. The simple, flowing worldbuilding hooked me from the start and I just couldn't put this book down. Some of the plot got a bit predictable but the main character was fun to follow. No big plot twists or anything that genuinely shocked me, but it was an enjoyable book nonetheless. Easily digestible. Can't wait to see what's to follow!

This book isn’t a true dystopian; it’s more of a romance set against a dystopian backdrop. However, I was here for the vibes and enjoyed it overall. I had a feeling going in that it was going to miss the mark on being a true dystopian, and I was correct in that assumption. This prepared me for how I would view the book. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the lack of dystopian themes, which affected my rating.

The female main character (FMC) annoyed me at times with her questionable decisions, and the romance felt like it happened too quickly. I found it hard to believe that I would fall for a man who has been killing people like me. The story was heavily focused on lust, which wasn’t what I was looking for.

On the plus side, the action was interesting. While some twists were predictable, they were still enjoyable. The instant romance made the FMC somewhat insufferable, but I have to admit that the male main character (MMC) did make my blood boil—in a delicious way. The stakes were high, and loyalties crumbled, which certainly kept me on my toes. Throughout the book, I thought I knew whom I could trust, but in this world, trust can shatter easily. I found myself shouting profanities during those moments!

I wish the world had been more fleshed out. We do get some information about the magic systems and the reasons for the world’s state, but it felt too sparse. I struggled to grasp the motives of the characters as well as I would have liked. Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention, but I believe that to be a dystopian story, it needs to clearly show an oppressive government and include some sort of political or social commentary that reflects real life. I understand my definition of dystopian may differ from others, but that’s how I approached this book.

While there was an oppressive government in the story, it felt as if it was just an afterthought. There was no political or social commentary at all, as if we were expected to accept the situation and move on. But then, it doesn’t really feel like a dystopian narrative, does it?

I truly believe marketing this book as the next spicy, adult version of "The Hunger Games" was its downfall. It seemed to miss the mark on what a dystopian story truly entails. They aimed for the vibes of a dystopian without delivering on the substance, which is why many readers were disappointed.

To me, without any political discourse and with the main focus being the romance and the "spice," the so-called "dystopian" elements became mere background in what essentially is a romance novel with some dystopian vibes.

Overall, despite the disappointing absence of genuine dystopian themes, the book kept me engaged enough that I would consider picking up the next installment to see what happens.

(I hope to god this isn’t AI, I would be so embarrassed)!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! It is very similar with the fourth wing plot wise, but it brings new thing to the table as well! i read this book on one sitting for starters and could not but it down!

I cant wait for the next book!

I think comparing this to Hunger Games wasn't the move. Is it dystopian? Yes. Was it more dystopian that I'd hoped? Also yes. The FMC gave "written by a man" so I don't know how I feel about that.. It was an enjoyable read, but the marketing for this one was a miss.

Absolutely stupendous book. I was slow to read because i got behind but ti was great. Amazing and loved it so much. I can't wait to read more of this series!

I went into this with really high hopes! I don’t really think this was so much dystopian as it didn’t seem the political component was lacking a bit.

Was it spicy, sure! Was it cute? Yes! I just think the way this was marketed was a bit misleading and I would’ve loved way more political intrigue out of this.

Thank you so much for allowing me to read Silver Elite. I thought Silver Elite was a decent read and I enjoyed the fantasy aspects of it. It definitely paid a nod to Divergent. I do think it was a a little bit copy and paste from Fourth Wing, but many fantasy novels copy one another or have similar aspects. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

This debut novel is a thrilling dystopian romance with high stakes action and emotional depth. Set in a future where individuals with abilities, known as "Mods," are hunted by an oppressive regime, the story follows Wren Darlington, a powerful Mod who has concealed her abilities to survive. After a misstep exposes her, Wren is conscripted into the elite Silver Block military program, led by the enigmatic Cross Redden. As Wren navigates the perilous training and her growing attraction to Cross, she becomes a link between the regime and the rebel Uprising. This has everything that you would want and I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys dystopian books with romance.

Four stars because I had a good time.

Some writers have the skill to write a super compelling story that can be eaten up like junk food. That's what this is. A fun time, but no substance--and I don't mean that in a bad way. As a (normally) vibes reader, I really liked this book because of the pacing and its ability to keep me interested, despite being so long.

This being comped to the Hunger Games is not accurate. All these two books have in common is a dystopian setting. Honestly, I felt like I was reading Fourth Wing in a different world and minus dragons (and higher stakes), which isn't a complaint. Sometimes all you need to do is shut your brain off and enjoy a story. Not everything has to be groundbreaking, though I can understand why people are looking for that in the dystopian genre. Unfortunately, if that's what you want from Silver Elite, you're reading the wrong book for you.

This book does lack proper worldbuilding. I'm honestly not sure of the history or why the Primes hate the Mods so much. Maybe I spaced out during Wren giving us a history lesson. I'm just not sure how the General became some overlord and what happened for the world to get where it is. I get the logic of why people would hates Mods, but... I just didn't see it enough? Aside from fear already being embedded in the characters. What's the goal here? I felt like we had to fill in the blanks so the author didn't need to work to answer those questions for herself. I could be wrong, I may have missed that. If I did, someone enlighten me please.

Not gonna lie, Cross gave me the ick in the first half. I got used to him, but there were a couple moments in the beginning... I was not a fan. He's fine, but I could live without him. I loooove Kaine but too much to ship him with Wren (also I cannot with the cowgirl nickname).

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the ARC of Silver Elite!

Honestly, this one wasn’t really for me. It gave me major Divergent vibes, like an adult version with smut and an illegal psychic ability replacing the Divergent concept. The world-building was solid, and I think readers who are feeling nostalgic for early 2010s dystopian stories might enjoy it. But I just couldn’t connect with the main characters or the storyline. I also got pretty annoyed by the MMC around the 50% mark. I went into this thinking he might be the next Xaden, Four, or even Aaron Warner, especially since Wren describes him as this ridiculously attractive guy, but what I got felt more like a 20-something trying way too hard to be broody. It was like the author was aiming for an Xaden Riorson half the time, and the other half he just acted like an immature, annoying child. That said, it was interesting enough that I might continue the series, but I’d give it 3 stars to be nice

A dystopian romance at a military training base where recruits and ranking soldiers live double lives. Spice was a bit meh 🫤 and the romance between Wren and Cross was too good to be true/obvious. If you’re a fan of “academy” romances or romantasies , you’ll probably like this. It was suspenseful enough to keep me turning pages late into the night for two days.

I really liked this book. I predicted a twist from the start, but even then I still enjoyed the book. I liked the characters, the plot, the world building. I liked it all. I can't wait to read more from this author and hopefully more in this series.