⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 But rounding it up to 5!
🌶🌶 Adult spice
🩷🩷🩷 Romantic longing
⚔️ Fight scenes

The dystopian romance my adult heart has been craving!

My number 1 favourite genre is a dystopian romance, and this was exactly that. A post-war dystopian world with technology, some fantasy elements, a mutation power, faction syatems, and political wars. All that with a romance brewing.

We follow the FMCs single first person POV while she learns to navigate her life through a political war, while being the very thing her enemies want to exterminate.

Wren Darlington has mind control powers and finds herself thrust into an enemy training camp where she needs to hide her powers and try not to fall in love with her new captain.

🫶 THINGS I LOVED:
I absolutely loved the mind control powers. There are 8 different types, and each has a different fear attached to it. The FMC had 4 (I loved that she didn't have all 8 because it could feel predictable if she had). I was constantly trying to guess which characters had or might have had powers.
I also loved trying to figure out who her best friend was and where that person lived.
The romance was fun and enjoyable and had the right amount of spice for the characters' age.
Wren was fierce, capable, insecure, strong, and nervous.... she had mad skills but was also flawed, which made her character borh enjoyable and relatable.
I loved the chapter sizes - brief and to the point. No space wasted.

💔 THINGS I DIDN'T LOVE
There wasn't much I didn't like.
The romance could have had some more depth to it. It could have had some more risk and maybe some variety in the bedroom.
I didn't enjoy how some parts were extremely predictable... but at the same time, it was the sole reason I picked up this book (I LOVE dystopian romances, and they all have some element of predictability).

🤏 WHY IT LOST HALF A STAR:
This really did feel like Divergent coded with a Fourth Wing's romance. There were some unoriginal things that I felt could have had their own uniqueness.

📝 OVERALL OPINION:
I damn well loved this book. I enjoyed every single chapter. The writing style was perfection, and the scenes were very well thought out. One moment flowed seamlessly into the next, the timeline was spaced really well, and all the characters were written wonderfully.

❓️ WILL I READ IT AGAIN?
Absolutely. I will definitely be recommending this to all my dystopian romance lovers, and I will be reading book 2 the day I get it in my hands!

4.5

Aaannnndddd I’m back in my dystopian era.

Silver Elite is going to be the next dystopian hit. It definitely had me nostalgic and it’s going to feed the people who are craving the same energy they got from Divergent with a splash of The Hunger Games.

A biotoxin leak separated society into two groups: modified and primes. Primes were immune to the toxin, where Mods gained mind powers and must hide their abilities to avoid being imprisoned or killed. Our modified FMC, Wren, finds herself stuck on the wrong side. She’s working undercover for the uprising whilst in training for Silver Elite, the Primes’ top military agents, and becomes entangled with its broody commander.

This was a very entertaining read; good banter is one of my favourite things in books and Silver Elite DELIVEREDDD. Wren is the perfect snarky stabby FMC- another one of my favourite things!! Her banter with one of the side characters had me choking on a laugh more than once.
I LOVED the military academy setting, I was eating it upppp. Sometimes in academy settings we don’t actually get to see much of the classes, but we really got to see each of the training exercises in this one and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved her cockiness and getting the internal monologue about that.

Whilst the main twist of the story was predictable from the beginning, it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. I enjoyed looking for the little hints throughout. Additionally, there were many other twists in the story that really took me by surprise, including the cliffhanger ending.

The sexual tension was delectable. I promise it will have you giggling. Who doesn’t love a broody possessive MMC?
The relationship is very much focussed on sexual chemistry in the beginning, but I felt like it really did make sense for the story line. It later opened up into a more vulnerable emotional connection towards the end and I found that it was a really nice progression throughout the book.

Whilst there were many funny and lighthearted moments throughout this book, it still had its fair share of heartbreaking moments. Definitely had me shedding a tear and screaming at the pages.

Definitely one of my favs so far this year!!! I am absolutely itching for book 2.

Oh wow. This book was so much fun to read and I genuinely had the best reading experience. As a lover of dystopian, this book truly felt like reading the dystopians we all know and love but in the best way.

The world building and magic system were very reminiscent of other dystopian novels while also being unique and fresh in its own way. The Mods vs Prime narrative was very interesting and of course can be paralleled to our own society in more ways than one.

It was really fun being in the perspective of a telepathic character and the added mind communication Modified’s have made it feel as if I was ‘in the know’ or being allowed in on a secret that I wasn’t allowed to know.

Wren as a main character is very strong-willed and loyal to a tee. She has been trained by her uncle from a young age to shoot guns, fight, and protect her mind, making her a protagonist that doesn’t have to rely on her make counter part for protection or help. Cross is the Commanding Officer of the most elite block on the Continent and it shows. He is strong, smart, and callous when needed to be but he is also cocky and sarcastic (especially with Wren). The two together are a perfect match of sarcasm, strength, and loyalty and I giggled/kicked my feet multiple times throughout reading.

This book was super fun and easy to read! It took me back to my teenage dystopian era for sure 🩷.

The chapters often ended up on a cliffhanger that had me needing to keep reading so that I felt like I couldn’t put the book down. I also loved the banter in the romance 😍.

However, I think maybe I had too high expectations based on others reviews. I definitely wasn’t wowed by this book. None of the plot twists really shocked me and I didn’t think the plot was anything super new or different. The writing was definitely not my favourite, it felt a bit simple, and the dialogue felt kind of modern that it felt odd?

In saying that, I had a good time reading it for sure! I’ll be curious to see what happens in the next one! I think maybe I just hyped it up in my head a bit too much.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me a copy of the eARC for my honest review.

This book is going to be the next big thing; I'm calling it now. People are going to froth for Cross and Wren.

This book is like X-men, Divergent and Hunger games had a baby, also throw in the movie Push (2009 - Chris Evans... one of his best movies) and you have Silver Elite.

🐺Enemies to lovers.
🌼Slow burn (the tension).
🐺Military Academy.
🌼Dystopian setting.
🐺Mutant Powers.
🌼Political Intrigue.

What I didn't like:

-Extremely predictable, for me at least.
-The first 30% of the book was a bit of a slog, but once it hit, it hit.
-A lot happened, almost a little too much. I felt like some scenes which I thought would be a big deal or would have more emotional impact fell a little flat or were over too quickly.
-The ending felt rushed, more to the point above, a lot happened in the short amount of time and some things happened too easily when I wanted more emotional devastation and impact.
-Wren's character was inconsistent at times, yes, she is impulsive, and a lot of the times made emotional decisions, but sometimes Wren was really smart and thought things through, I felt this was inconsistent to who she was and made me think why was she really smart with this decision and not the others?

What I did like:

-The tension and build up was done so well, it was absolutely delicious when it came to the head.

<i>"His lips crash against mine in a fierce kiss. There's no hesitation. No restraint. In that single, electrifying moment, my entire body is alive with energy."</i>

-The Politics were done really well, it makes you really sit down, and think is the world really that black and white as people believe? or are we all living in a world of grey where the lines aren't as straight as we think and blur as we want them to.

It's going to be really interesting to see where this goes and how Wren is going to navigate all the politics in the next book.

further regarding the above, there were a few quotes that really stuck with me, which I think will resonate with a lot of people considering the world today.

<i>"I believe that humanity is wired for destruction no matter the environment. Old Era, New Era. Aberrant on top, Prime on top. We will always find a way to destroy ourselves. We're a doomed species."</i>

<i>"Ideas are like weeds. They emerge from the smallest cracks and thrive in neglect. And if they're not controlled, they spread. They grow. They invade."</i>

-I loved the dynamics of all the characters, I can't wait to see everyone in book two, who will remain an enemy and who will become an ally.

Regardless of its flaws I ate this up, I couldn't put this down and stayed up until 1am reading.

I would rate this a 3.75⭐️but round up to 4⭐️. I can't wait for everyone to meet Wren and Cross.

I was hooked from the very beginning- Wren is such a badass and Cross is just unnaturally hot. Wren is hiding a secret that would see her executed, and I absolutely loved getting to see her try and keep this secret in the world she found herself in. Cross was such an interesting character and I was hooked on every single interaction he had with Wren. There were quite a few twists and turns in this story. I can’t wait for the next one!

As I’m sure you’ve heard a million times, this book is like if Divergent, Red Queen, and Fourth Wing had a baby. It brings back that addictive dystopian feel we all grew up loving, but it steers fully into New Adult.

The story follows Wren Darlington — a rebel with multiple dangerously powerful psychic abilities that she must keep hidden or risk execution. When she’s captured by the enemy and forced to join their elite military unit, the Silver Block, she suddenly finds herself with the perfect chance to strike from within. The only problem? Her maddeningly hot commanding officer, Cross Redden, who doesn’t trust her at all… even as their chemistry threatens to burn everything down.

Wren is a total badass — witty, strong, and sharp as hell. She doesn’t take anyone’s nonsense. Fans of Four and Xaden are going to absolutely fall for Cross. The chemistry and tension between them? I ate it uppp. The romance had me giggling and smiling like an idiot, and the last 150 pages? Absolutely unhinged in the best way. I flew through it.

Sure, some of the plot leans a little cliché and dips into familiar dystopian romantasy tropes, but honestly? That’s part of the charm. It feels like a love letter to the genre while still keeping things fresh and high-stakes. The worldbuilding is immersive, the cast of characters is great, and overall, it’s super addictive.

I can see people going absolutely feral over this — and I cannot blame them.

Silver Elite’ Book Review
Thank-you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Australia and the author Dani Francis for the eARC of ‘Silver Elite’.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all – especially the writing style, plot development and main character development. ‘Silver Elite’ is an adult dystopian fantasy, where we follow Wren, who has supernatural abilities due to the remnants of past chemical/nuclear warfare. People without special abilities are named “Primes”; while people are named “Mods” if they have special abilities. During the novel, the country’s leadership consists of “Primes” and “Mods” are sent to labour camps or murdered. While previously, the country was ruled by Mods that were working to eliminate Primes. Wren finds herself in a military training camp for the majority of the novel and during this time the plot becomes repetitive as she tries to be removed from the program. In the story, the romance and associated plot twist were predictable. While reading a dystopian fantasy I would like a deeper meaning and comment on the politics and society, which was lacking in this novel. Themes of discrimination, totalitarianism, and propaganda were rarely discussed and are usually central to other dystopian novels.
The novel is written in first person, which can be effective at eliciting emotions, but the constant use of ‘I’ to begin sentences was jarring and juvenile. The emotional response of characters was poorly described or not realistic. The main character is described as reckless and impulsive, and she certainly meets this description. Generally, I enjoy a flawed character, but Wren’s decisions constantly hurt people that supported her, and she continued to act like the victim. Wren is incredibly selfish and arrogant and shows little to no character development and growth through the story. Furthermore, the other characters were one dimensional and also demonstrated no character growth.
The main character follows the ‘cool girl’ and ‘she’s not like other girls’ tropes, which I find to be both sexist and cringy. There were often times the main character is compared to other female characters for her looks and skills, which felt borderline misogynistic. We don’t have to put down other women for the main character to shine.
Sadly, this book was not for me, and I will not be continuing the series.

THIS BOOK!! ♾️ STARS!!

From the first chapter to the last chapter and everything in between, I LOVED it. This book had me hooked. Chapter 1 had me blushing, giggling & kicking my feet. From there I knew I was in for a great time.

This book is marketed as Fourth Wing meets Divergent & it absolutely delivered on that! I even got a bit of a Hunger Games vibe as well.

The story was written so well, the pacing was spot on & you will never be bored! The academy setting was executed really well and I loved that aspect of the story. The plot twists and omg moments were great! I guessed a couple of them but a few had my jaw on the floor (I need book 2 asap)

The characters were chefs kiss 🤌🏼 Wren was badass & brash but I loved her boldness & her softer side! Cross will be your new book boyfriend from chapter...that man!! 🥵 The banter, the chemistry, the high stakes!! OBSESSED

Do yourself a favour & read this book!!

I'm obsessed with this book - it's one of my favourite reads from this year and I really think it's going to blow up and be the next big thing when it's released!
I had to pry myself away from this book to do life thing, and every time I did, I was juust thinking about when I could pick it back up again. If you are a sci-fi or fantasy romance reader and you want something new to hyperfixate on, trust me this is it.

Silver Elite is an upcoming debut novel, the 1st book of a series, by author Dani Francis. It’s dystopian fiction with the beating heart of a romantasy. It's set in a world where the Primes (those without any special abilities) are the ruling class, and Mods (those who do have special abilities) are struggling to exist. Mods in this world are either killed, sent to labour camps, working as slaves to the Primes or in hiding.
Our main character is Wren, a young woman who must conceal her Mod identity and psychic powers as she is forced to train with the very people looking to kill her.

It’s being marketed as Divergent meets Fourth Wing, and while I can predict it might attract some criticism for similarities to these, I would urge you not to be misled or put off by that comparison, because Silver Elite can and does stand completely on its own two feet.

This has got it all - a fascinating world, great banter, strong FMC, lust-worthy MMC, tension, spice, trials, an elite training academy, war and rebellion, politics, secret identities. And on top of all that, really engaging storytelling that will have you gasping at the plot twists and kicking your feet in satisfaction as you hit some eagerly anticipated moments.

And if you only take away 1 thing I’ve said about this book let it be this: MUST. READ. IMMEDIATELY.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

3.5 stars.

I went into this with very low expectations, but I did end up pleasantly surprised.
It was really great being back in a dystopian world, however it definitely lacked originality. It felt like a mash up of a lot of popular dystopians.
The romance was very surface level and too insta-lusty for my personal taste. Like we get it you think he's hot. I did enjoy the more emotional moments we got towards the end of the book, but I do wish it had been a slower burn & that the emotional depth had been growing from the start. I feel like the MMC was a pretty copy paste of most popular MMCs.
The FMC I had a love/hate relationship with. Some moments I enjoyed her a lot and others I wanted to SCREAM at her. She was so cocky & impulsive that it made her really stupid. One particular decision I honestly cannot believe she would be that utterly stupid getting Elis to remove her scar tissue covering her blood mark. Like seriously girl, uncle is ROLLING in his grave.
A lot of the twists/reveals were painfully obvious. However there were a few that did surprise me, and the ending left me pleasantly surprised!! I am very intrigued to see where the story goes and to learn more about the world, the mods & the resistance.
Lyddie betraying her hurt. Was shocked that Kaine was part of the resistance and not actually dead!! I also thought her parents were going to be alive, so shocked to see they were traitors.
I did really enjoy the friendships and side characters. I thought it was refreshing that she had female friendships.

Overall it wasn't anything groundbreaking HOWEVER I did enjoy reading it. And will read book 2 when it releases.

Thank you Penguin Random House Australia and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review

Omg I actually NEED the next book right now. Please. Also as a slow reader, I just read a 500+ page book in 3 days?!? Talk about addictive.
This book wasn’t perfect but BOY did I love every second. I actually struggled every time I needed to put it down and my uni assignment is suffering because of it😩

This book had so much to love: fast and engaging plot, tension, seamless world building, interesting and dynamic characters, and action! I actually loved it so much and still feel immersed in this world. There are so many similarities to other books I love, but not in a copycat way. In a way that made me love it even more.

DYSTOPIAN IS BACK BABY.

And for a debut book, this is phenomenal. I’m so excited for the future for Dani Francis.

Read this if you enjoyed any of these books:
Divergent
The Crimson Moth
Fourth Wing
Shatter Me
The Hunger Games

This book is insane.

Silver Elite is so good, I barely slept while reading it because I was hooked. It's this cool dystopian romancey book with Modified people and Primes, and a very violent Uprising.

Wren and Cross are possibly my two favourite people ever, and their constant push and pull was fun to read. The world building was excellent, and I appreciated the time taken to set the scene with the Wards, Mods and current leaders. The powers that the Mods have were well explained, and it continued to develop throughout the story.

At one point I was cursing the author, but it was redeemed right at the very end - plot twist!

I am desperate for more, I need to know what's happening next and I need to know it right now 🙏