There’s something tiresome about this book’s relentless pursuit of a stereotype. The cussing, for example, is not there to deepen the tension or add weight to the emotional beats. It is like a checkbox ticked to make the FMC seem like a “badass” warrior, but it doesn’t ring true. It doesn’t serve the plot. It’s just...unnecessary and awkward.

Cross at the beginning of the book is not the same man at the end, and that’s not a good thing. The evolution felt forced, and in the end, I’m left wondering if this character arc really added anything to the story.

The transition from disdain to instant love felt rushed and hollow. A childhood connection gets used as a quick fix to justify the seismic shift in Cross’s character—from a conflicted, hardened commander to a lovesick puppy who’s suddenly ready to risk it all. No buildup, no chemistry, no tension, no yearning.

If you liked Fourth Wing and you’re looking for a “spicy” version of the Divergent formula, this book will probably make it in your top 5 of 2025. Everything about this book feels like it was tailor-made to tap into the current TikTok market, and it reads that way: repetitive, shallow, and almost formulaic.

I am grateful for the eARC!

No notes. Absolutely no notes. This book has completely taken over my life, and I have zero regrets. I’m utterly obsessed, wholly enthralled, and already certain this will be a top read of the year for me. It’s brilliant, utterly unputdownable, and the kind of dystopian read that checks every box—political intrigue, rebellion, a deliciously slow-burn romance, top-tier world-building, and a constant, gnawing sense of who can you really trust?

If you grew up devouring dystopian novels, this will scratch that nostalgic itch while delivering everything you love in more adult reads. Dani Francis has created something special here—a world ruled by Primes who hunt the Modified, an elite training academy where survival is anything but guaranteed, and an underground rebellion waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

At the heart of it all is Wren—reckless, powerful, and so easy to root for. Her abilities make her a target, but she’s spent her life trying to stay under the radar. Until one mistake forces her into the very system that wants her dead. Recruited into the military’s most elite unit, Silver Block, Wren suddenly finds herself in the middle of a dangerous game. And when the rebellion approaches her with an offer to become a double agent, she’s faced with an impossible choice. But the question remains: who can she really trust?

And let’s talk about the romance. The tension. The angst. The forbidden, slow-burn yearning that hurts in the best way. Cross and Wren’s banter is perfection—sharp, electric, laced with both heat and vulnerability. Their dynamic is volatile, charged, and so much fun to read.

The pacing is perfect—nonstop action, high stakes, and plot twists that keep coming. And that ENDING?! I need book two immediately. And let’s talk about the tension. The angst. The slow burn that hurts in the best way possible. It’s absolutely mouthwatering, and I could not get enough.

This is a phenomenal debut and the start of what is sure to be an incredible trilogy. Read this book, it is an absolute must!!

Spoiler-free review: Silver Elite
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

This book was so much fun! I forgot how much I like dystopian stories. Paired with psychic abilities, a competitive military academy, & a lil espionage??? Sign me UP. I adored the characters and their banter. The FMC is hilarious and I love her confidence, even though she doesn’t always make the best choices. The world building was excellent and Francis did an amazing job providing context and explaining the modified system and political tension. You end the book not knowing which side you support which was interesting (and realistic honestly). The entire premise of the different abilities most all stemming from the mind was fun plus the idea of voices being perceived differently through telepathic communication was sooo cool.

While the plot was extremely predictable and the story/tropes seemed a bit similar to others I’ve read, it was still so interesting and I could not put the book down. The writing is super good, especially for a debut! I REALLY loved it and am already SO looking forward to the next book (whew that ending!!!) and I strongly encourage people to check this out in May when it’s released!

Thank you SO very much to @authordanifrancis, @randomhouse, and @netgalley for the eARC - The opinions in this review are left here honestly & voluntarily.

4.75⭐️ I ate this up!! To me, this is exactly what I wanted in an adult dystopian book, think Divergent x Fourth Wing. The FMC, Wren, has to keep her psychic abilities hidden but somehow ends up in a situation where she is literally training to become part of an elite team of soldiers whose goal is to eliminate people like her. Captain Cross, who oversees this training program, gives such strong Four vibes in the best way!

While it can be a bit predictable and is not revolutionizing literature by any means, this book is extremely entertaining with a fast-paced plot, intriguing world, sizzling tension, and eventual romance. Every once in a while I did have to cringe at Wren’s internal monologue, but overall I liked her character, especially that she was actually very competent rather than naive/helpless. I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens in the next book!

Thank you so much to Random House Publishing Group for providing a digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review!

Dystopian books are so back!!!
This book had me giggling, blushing, you name it.
I loved the world setting and thought the magic system was perfect. The idea of Primes and Mods really drew me in and had me wanting to know more. I stayed up to read this and it had me hooked from the dedication. If you loved Tobias from Divergent when you were 13, you’ll LOVE Cross. This book was fast paced , easy to follow along , and had little plot twists that kept my attention. Every chapter ending with a mini cliffhanger is my weakness because after a few hours i’m finished with the book. If you enjoy a Captain and a girl who stumbles her way to being a recruit, SPRINT to put this on your tbr. This will be the book of the summer.
Thank you Netgalley & Del Rey for the eARC ✨

I did not think I would enjoy this book as much as I did.

It has been sitting on my TBR since November.

This will absolutely be one of my top reads for the year.

I loved the FMC, she was strong, willing to do what was needed, but also empathic.

I loved the tension between Wren and Cross. It was so well done.

The book had a few twists and heart-stopping moments, you will need tissues for at least 2 chapters.

It has its moments of predictability but not enough to take away from the book.

The ending has left me on edge. Do we trust the uprising??

5⭐️
(ARC review) — Thank you to author Dani Francis and their publisher Del Ray. I received an Advanced Reader Copy for the May 2025 release of 𝘚𝑖𝘭𝑣𝘦𝑟 𝐸𝘭𝑖𝘵𝑒 in exchange for my honest review. Oh man. WOW. Dani I see you. What a debut novel! If you loved Hunger Games or Divergent. This dystopian series is gonna be for you! Dare I say, I felt some Fourth Wing vibes??!! I just love a book that makes me even remotely feel the way I did while reading Fourth Wing for the first time. I have a feeling this book may be the next big craze. This book checks the boxes for Romance, Spice, World building, Action, Uprising and Survival. I was completely glued to the pages and couldn’t put it down. Can’t wait to see where the series goes; waiting for book two is gonna be torture! My fantasy peeps… mad dash {yup, sprint} to add this one to your TBR!!!!!!! You’ll thank me later! 👏🏻

Holy moly this book just became my new current obsession. If you were a Divergent/Hunger Games girlie in your teens, Silver Elite is about to be your new adult Roman Empire. This fast-paced dystopian thriller had me hooked from page one. I absolutely loved Wren—her spunky, reckless, and impulsive nature made her an instant favorite. The love story? Absolute fire. Chef’s kiss. Everything about this book was perfection, and now I’m sad because I have to wait for the sequel. Please, let the rest of the series be just as good! I’ll be recommending this to all my friends. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really wanted to like this one based on the premise but I just found myself bored and it fell flat. The pacing was just too slow and it read very YA but with spice. It was frustrating that the MC was immature and didn't think through her actions.

A spicy Divergent set in a dystopian world with forbidden love! The way I absolutely ate this book up!

🖤Commanding Officer x Recruit
🖤Enemies to lovers
🖤Slow burn
🖤Secret identity/hidden powers
🖤Rebellion
🖤Telepathic/Psychic abilities

This follows Wren Darlington and she is a modified (basically someone with psychic/telepathic gifts) and they are being hunted and executed. Wren is extremely powerful and has rare abilities. She is a strong and smart mouthed FMC, but intelligent and I just absolutely adored her!

When Wren makes a mistake her and the only person she’s ever cared for are compromised. This puts all enemies eyes on her and she’s recruited into the military’s most elite unit Silver Block. Just because you are recruited doesn’t mean you’ll survive the trials to actually join. Wren is approached by the uprising and she’s found herself as a double agent..but who can she really trust.

Her commanding officer Cross is making Wrens task all the more difficult, not only is Cross her commanding officer he’s also the generals son. The man responsible for the slaughter of her kind…or is he? The tension and angst between these two is mouth watering! Cross may know her better than she can ever begin to imagine though.

The political intrigue, the unique power, the lies and betrayals in this book had me continuing to turn pages because I could not put this down!! It was fast paced, you didn’t know who you could trust, when the slow burn started burning it had me screaming out loud! I did guess some of the plot twists but the author kept me second guessing myself just enough to where I wasn’t entirely sure.

I could not believe this was Dani Francis’s debut novel, I truly never would have guessed. The writing was phenomenal and the storyline was everything I could have asked for! Just read this, it’s an absolute must for all dystopian lovers

Thank you so much to Random House and Dani Francis for allowing me to read this pre-release in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for an eArc of silver elite. The cover and book description is what drawled me in the beginning.

The Tropes
•Forbidden Romance
•Corrupt Government
•Enemies to Lovers
•Slow Burn

Fans of fourth wing (if there was no dragons) and Divergent are going to enjoy this book! I didn’t enjoy the slow pace of the book personally. But looking past that I loved the strong FMC who is has to hid her powers and is forced to join the government’s elite training program. The kind of power she conceals is the exact power the government is hunting for which is why she plots to dismantle the government from within.

Holy crapola this book is a 6 star read for sure!!!! It was so freaking good!!!!!! I just loved the banter between wren and cross. This gave me all the feels of the books that came out in my younger years. The world building in this was so unique and I can’t wait to dive further into the world in further books. Gotta say the ending caught me off guard for sure! Something I kinda figured did happen, but it didn’t take away from the story at all. I just can’t believe I’m going to wait so long to read the next book. Dani did an amazing job getting you to connect with the characters and just enjoy the ride for sure. I loved the slower build up because I know it is going to be a crazy next book! Gosh thanks to NetGalley, Dani Francis, and del Rey for the honor of getting to read this book early! Man I have been getting some really good fantasy books in!!!!!

Fantastic debut! If you loved Divergent and Fourth Wing (without the dragons), this is for you! Listen to this: a dystopian romance in which the fmc is forced to join the government’s elite training program, all while trying to conceal the powers her kind is hunted for, and plotting to dismantle the government from within.

It is SO GOOD! This first book set up nicely the start of this series. While it was slow-ish, so much kept happening during training that kept me itching to keep reading. I mean, I BINGED 500 pages today! I couldn’t stop reading!

Silver Elite is exhilarating! This is THE dystopian romance to watch out for this year! Add it to your tbr!

- enemies to lovers
- hidden identity
- telepathy powers (and more)

4’5/5✨ First of all, i want to say thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. Omg, I absolutely loved Silver Elite!! The premise reminds me a lot of a mix between Divergent and Fourth Wing (two of my favorite fantasy worlds) but with it’s own twist. I devoured this book from start to finish. The only thing I would say is that for me it was a 5 star read up until the last 10% of the book. I found that the last couple of chapters were a little bit rushed and i feel Wren’s actions were a bit out of character. That’s the only reason i gave it 4’5 and not 5 stars, but the entire book it’s absolutely amazing.
I think this book will be one of the main releases of this year and I cannot wait to continue this story in book 2!! Again thank you so much for the ARC 🖤✨

Silver Elite is a dystopian novel that follows a predictable storyline with all the usual tropes. The insta-lust between the main characters feels rushed, making their connection feel more superficial than deeply developed. The plot is highly predictable, following a formulaic structure with few surprises along the way. Despite this, it remains an entertaining and fast-paced read, with enough action and intrigue to keep readers engaged. While it doesn’t bring anything particularly new or groundbreaking to the dystopian genre, it’s a decent choice for those looking for a quick, effortless escape into a futuristic world.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this eARC.

I’m still wondering how I feel about this book. On the one hand I’m desperate to read a sequel, having loved the last 60% of it, on the other, the first 40% was pretty slow going with lots of plodding info dumps I could have done without. Wren at first was also a tough character to like, making some poor decisions but I was ultimately won over by her later development. I’d recommend this to fans of “Powerless” and anyone who likes a strong female lead, the action is well written and the romance spicy. I decided to give it a 4⭐️, because despite its flaws, it still enjoyed my time reading.

This was such a fun read! It was kind of nostalgic in that it was very reminiscent of the dystopian books popular in 2010’s. It has similar vibes as Divergent, but more adult. I found the overall concept/world interesting. It was nothing revolutionary or crazy unique, but it was still intriguing and easy to understand. I think the world building could have been expanded on, just to give a broader understanding of how everything has gotten to this point, but maybe that will happen as the books go on. There were a few twists that were fairly predictable, but exciting nonetheless. I enjoyed the characters and their interactions and am excited to see their relationships further develop. I think this series has a lot of potential and this book was a really good stepping stone. I can see this book gaining a lot of traction and popularity (similarly to FW). I am definitely excited to continue this series and see where the story goes.

I really enjoyed this book. It was like Divergent but with sex!! A brilliant dystopian story, that explores the history and tension between Mods and Primes. Yes some of it was predictable, but that didn’t make me enjoy it any less? There’s a little bit of spice, but it was done well. The story didn’t revolve around it, and the slow burn was 👌🏼 I was purely here for the vibes and the vibes delivered. Excited to see what Wren gets up to in the next book!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Silver Elite by Dani Francis hooked me from page one. This dystopian novel is about a rich ruling class that is in opposition with the Modified, people who have psychic powers. Wren has lived her whole life hiding these powers from everyone except her Uncle Jim, the man who raised her. When Wren saves a boys life, her Uncle Jim gets arrested for treason and desertion. Wren gets thrust into the enemies hands as she gets sent to Silver Block to train as a soldier. She begins to struggle with her identity and her purpose, while not knowing who to trust if anyone.
Dani Francis has made this new world come to life. The characters are varied, some you root for and some you despise. Silver Elite is a great addition to the romantasy genre.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Worlds, and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Silver Elite is a solid entry into the dystopian romance canon. I had a good time reading it and it was fun to be in a dystopian world, even if it treads on some pretty familiar ground.

It's a dystopian world we've seen before -- an oppressive ruling class, or Primes, that seeks to eradicated the Modified, a subjugated class of people who have powers ranging from telepathy to healing as the result of toxic mutations. from toxic fallout from a long ago war. Naturally there is a revolution called the Uprising that is working to free the Mods from the tyrannical reign of General Redden, an anti-Mod fanatic.

Our MC, Wren, is an incredibly powerful Mod who has lived in hiding her entire life but ends up accidentally forced to join the elite military academy. She spends much of the first quarter of the book trying to get kicked out and this is where the book really struggles. It doesn't make much sense why she can't get kicked out other than the hottie Captain says no (also her plan to get kicked out makes little sense when its very obvious they'd never let her go home, they'd just stick her in a labor camp). It makes MUCH more sense when Wren is recruited by the Uprising to try and make Silver Elite, the coveted top squadron, to be their eyes and ears on the inside.

My other main issue with this book is that there are basically no emotional stakes because there is no time spent building out any of the secondary characters (even though they are pivotal for some of the back half plot twists). There is one major death and one betrayal that have little emotional impact bc I'm just not invested in these characters.

Bracketing all of this, I had a good time reading it and will absolutely read the next one.