This was so amazing and interesting. It has all the tropes I absolutely love ❤️ enemies to lovers in dystopian fantasy romance with military vibe! So perfect and wonderful combination to read from starting to the ending.

3.5 stars. I went into Silver Elite thinking it was just another dystopian read. I was still reeling after reading the newest Hunger Games book and wanted more dystopian.

I had absolutely no idea at the time that this was a spicy dystopian. I read this one before its release date and before I saw all the hype and hate which kind of blew my mind to be honest.

While reading (and skipping over the spice) it was just a typical dystopian setting to me. It had X-Men vibes, maybe a little bit of Divergent thrown in.

Wren, a “Modified” (has psychic powers), is forced to attend the “Primes” (no psychic abilities) most elite school (shades of Fourth Wing), where she falls hard for her ruthless commanding officer, Cross. No surprise - classic enemies to lustful lovers trope. No one is aware that Wren is a Mod.

Was it a book that I read in one sitting? No. To be honest, I wasn’t enamored with Wren at all and didn’t even like her.

But… If you like dystopian, and the X-Men, and spicy scenes, with a little bit of Divergent and Fourth Wing for flavor, then read this book.

I will probably pick up book 2, because it was interesting enough to me to continue the series.

*Thanks to partner Del Rey and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. I went into this with minimal expectations and mostly just high curiosity over how heavy it was trending on my fyp. I don’t read much dystopian fantasy so keep that in mind. I can’t even lie i LOVED this. This is on the longer side of a book for me, but i read most of it within two days. I loved the characters and this book makes me want to read more dystopian type romantasy books.

The only thing that really annoyed me was how often they mention how tiny and petite Wren is compared to big macho man Cross but i feel like that’s true for lots of books at this point. I will be needing the second book IMMEDIATELY btw. Personally, yeah the hype was real.

This was a good book. I will admit it was a bit predictable and overly tropey but it was fun and a great binge read. This had very consumable world building and setting up the magic system was easy to grasp. I did love the relationship between wren and cross. The tension that built between them was delicious. Overall I had a good time with this

Romantasy at its best. This gave me serious Yarros vibes. I loved every tragic minute and devoured it in two days. Cannot wait for the next two books.

This book starts really strong with a kick-ass female protagonist. She lists her top two weaknesses as impulsiveness and impatience, and these characteristics really do guide her actions. She both makes me laugh and root for her even when you shake your head and think, no, don't do that. The enemies to lovers romance moves much too quickly for me and the reveal is hardly a reveal. The world building is a bit disjointed providing clues but not a clear path as to how the world ended up the way it did. This book is only the first in the series, and I hope we get more of that in future books. The side characters are fascinating and plenty of surprises await us in relation to them. I definitely enjoyed the story, and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance ecopy. My opinion is my own.

this book was such a fun time! it definitely had me not wanting to put it down and was a real page turner! some things i definitely predicted, but that’s ok!

our fmc, wren, was such a strong & resilient character. she has gone through so much, and she never let it get her down.

i’m a SUCKER for side characters, and i just loved kaine! he was such a fun and likeable character!

not gonna lie, i did not like cross (the mmc) for a good chunk of the book, until they started booking up but even some of the things he said had me cringing. it wasn’t cheesy, but i just didn’t like how he talked to wren during their intimate interactions. HOWEVER, he did make up for it for the last chunk of the book!

the one thing i didn’t like was that there was a lack of world building, no explanation as to why their world is in the situation it’s in. it would have been so nice to have some background info on it.

thank you to netgalley, del rey, and dani for sending me an e-arc for an honest review!

what to expect:
- dystopian romance
- military setting
- secrets & lies
- forbidden love
- enemies to lovers

Very fun ride! I think people who enjoyed books like fourth wing and the hunger games would really like reading this.
A little predictable, but I didn’t mind because the story was so much fun.

a strong start but then we really started regurgitating every single plot line that a fantasy or dystopian book has ever adopted. turned very meh. also wren has no personality whatsoever that makes any sense. truly. she goes back on her word 800 times. whoevers pen name this is, you flopped

I really liked Wren she has to keep her powers hidden psychic powers can get you killed, but luckily they don't show the way other people's do.
She is an ace shot which she needs to be careful of showing too much as there is constant surveillance and fear of detection.
She meets Cross who is definitely in the vein of Rhysand from ACOTAR.
It is dystopian with a Divergent feel to it.
I really liked the vibe between Wren and Cross he misses nothing when it comes to her, Wren is strong and smart can stand up for herself she doesn't back down.
You'll probably lose sleep reading this as you will want to read just one more page.
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher.

This debut came out swinging with psychic powers, military chaos, and a main character who had me hooked from page one.

Wren’s internal voice? Sharp, funny, and full of bite. The story throws you into high-stakes drama with zero hand-holding, and somehow I was both emotionally wrecked and giggling at her sass.

By 15%, I was fully invested in the world, the politics, and that one particular character who will 100% dominate your BookTok feed soon. You’ll know who I mean. 👀

Was it perfect? Nope. A little predictable and some cringe here and there, but honestly? I didn’t care. I tore through it like my life depended on it. That’s a win in my book.

4 stars. Purely on vibes. Would I recommend? Absolutely. Especially if you’re in the mood for a binge-read that punches hard and leaves you wanting the sequel ASAP.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! I personally thought there were a lot of inconsistencies and even the world building was pretty vague. Quite a few things happened in the book that I couldn’t find reasoning for and I kept waiting for an explanation that never came. I don’t believe it was done with the intention of being purposefully vague to add intrigue for the next book or anything like that. I had so many questions and they just didn’t explain why or how those things came to be and I was like “okaaaay, I guess we roll with it. Next” hahah.
But I had a good time reading it tho!! A few things happened that had me at the edge of my seat throughout the book that I can say were probably what kept me going and enough to keep me interested in what’s gonna happen next.
ALSO, I just need to say how much I love KAINE. YUP. that man stole my heart!

This was a rollercoaster of a ride! I ate up the first 60% of the book. Unputdownable! But then there was some super annoying parts 😂 that was a bit hard to get through. But it was worth it in the end. Daaaaaaamn! I need the love of that man🥰
I’m definitely reading book 2 when it drops.
Highly recommend!

REVIEW: Silver Elite by Dani Francis

Silver Elite gave me vibes from The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Fourth Wing mixed. I love a dystopian futuristic plot, and it is shown through in this book. Silver Elite was the kind of book that grabbed me early and kept me engaged until the end. Its premise is very us vs them, where some people are primes (no special abilities) and some people are modified (with special abilities). Even though it isn't wholly unique, I still enjoyed the story's journey.

Dani Francis did a great job on world-building in Silver Elite. It had enough depth and believability without being too complicated. The world was almost a character in the story because it was significantly involved in everything. I liked the characters in Silver Elite. There were many powerful characters, but they were still different enough from one another. Even the side characters added so much to the story. There was a large cast of characters, but they were easy enough to follow. I especially liked Wren and Cross's characters and chemistry. There was so much playful banter and sparks between them, even through a slower burn. A big theme of the story is about trust and who you can trust. It is interesting to see how this evolves and changes throughout the book.

A few elements of Silver Elite were a bit predictable, but this didn't affect my overall reading experience.

Overall, I really loved Silver and Elite. I'm only disappointed that I must wait until the second one is released!

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Worlds | Del Rey, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

“Silver Elite” by Dani Francis is an exciting, fast-paced paranormal romance that delivers a fresh twist on supernatural lore with a compelling cast of characters and an emotionally rich storyline. With sharp writing and a magnetic plot, Francis takes readers on a thrilling journey filled with danger, desire, and the complexities of finding one’s place in a divided world.

The protagonist is both strong and relatable, someone you root for from the very beginning. As secrets unravel and alliances are tested, the tension builds beautifully, keeping you hooked chapter after chapter. Francis excels at blending action, romance, and supernatural intrigue, while also exploring themes of identity, loyalty, and power.

One of the standout features of “Silver Elite” is its world-building. It strikes a satisfying balance between familiar paranormal elements and original twists that keep the genre feeling fresh. The relationships, romantic and platonic alike, are nuanced and believable, adding depth to the high-stakes plot.

Fans of urban fantasy and paranormal romance will find a lot to love in “Silver Elite”. It’s the kind of book that keeps you reading late into the night and leaves you eager for the next installment.

4.5 stars!

This book was INSANEEEEE. The BETRAYALS. The FRIENDSHIPS. The PLOT TWISTS.

This book HURT in so many different ways - my heart was ripped out of my chest MULTIPLE times.

I wasn’t sure I would care about the romance because I was so interested in the actual plot but then I really ended up loving it.

Only one thing out of this whole book was predictable, and I’m glad I was right about it.

The only reason it’s not 5 stars is because I think I was putting pressure on myself to read more per day, so it’s definitely a me problem, not the book.

I can’t wait for book 2! I NEED to know what’s going to happen!!!

Thanks to Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Silver Elite by Dani Francis is an adult dystopian fantasy. It is the first book of a new series. There’s a big buzz about this book right now because the author is believed to be a pen name for an otherwise well-known author. Whether that is true or not, this one had a big release for a completely unknown author.

I loved this one! I didn’t even want to put it down. Wren Darlington is such a strong female main character. I enjoyed the connection between her and Cross. The setting and plot had me so intrigued. Like most fantasy books, there was quite a bit of world building. Add in the dystopian element, and I really had to hang in there to sort out the framework in the beginning. But it’s easy enough to understand, I just wish I’d kept better track of the side characters early on.

I liked this one a lot because it feels different than anything else I’ve read recently. When you read a lot of books, so many themes and elements get repetitive—even between genres. But this one kept surprising me all the way through. I saw a couple of twists coming but even those didn’t unfold the way I expected. This alone makes it a standout for me.

If you read the Hunger Games or Divergent series when you were younger and liked them, then you’ll probably enjoy this one too. It’s been so long since I read Divergent and I know I wished for more romance in it (but, YA), so this felt a bit like if Divergent was all grown up with spice in it.

Given that we have no idea who the author is or when the next book of the series will be released, I’m definitely eager of the next book in the series.

I found this book disappointing. I usually like dystopian fiction, but this story lacked depth. It felt like a poorly developed and superficial backdrop for some “spicey” scenes. I am sure this book has its audience, but I much prefer YA dystopian fiction

ARC Review ✨️

♡Magnificent♡

This story absolutely blew me away! From the incredible description to the breathtaking writing, this book has it all. I'm in utter shock at how this story ended, and I am so excited for the next book!

This author created such a fantastic dystopian fantasy debut, and I loved every second of it. The romance, the characters, the magic system, everything was woven together seamlessly, and I so wish I could go back and read this for the first time again. The feeling was like no other😍🥹

If you're a fan of divergent or fourth wing, this story is perfect!!

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Random House Worlds| Del Ray for the ARC!

this was a fun dystopian romance read! was the writing everything i hoped and dreamed it would be? no. were the characters the most moral, ethically-stringent characters i had ever read about? also no. but this book was fun! 🤩

i would say the likening of this book to divergent and/or the hunger games is incorrect in terms of plot and the objective of the story. i feel like this story was written purely for escapism and a good time, not for any other reason (i.e. educating us on the perils of capitalism, or what happens in a society where there are extreme wealth gaps, or what happens in a world where empathy and humanity is lost and entertainment becomes pivotal). however in terms of vibes, life-death scenario, relentless ferocity of the heroine? yes, i can see some parallels. this was dystopian done in a way that’s accessible and riveting to the girlies (and gays and theys and men and whoever else reads these subgenres) who read (spicy) romance first and foremost.

so, while this wasn’t the most influential and thought-provoking book, i had a good time while reading it!