Silver Elite

No like… I think there were actual drugs in this book because oh my gosh. When I say I want an action packed dystopian romance, this is what I mean. The plot, the characters, the PLOT TWISTS. THE BETRAYAL. What a rollercoaster this book was. This story has consumed me start to finish and all I want to do now is throw myself into Broken Dove. Also the magic system if you want to call it that was super unique and I really liked learning about it. I can’t believe I slept on reading this for so long. If I knew how amazing it was gonna be, I would’ve done it forever ago. It was so easy to become invested in these characters and their stories. Each character is so layered. I loved the romance the way it was a slow burn until it wasn’t. THE TENSION. It had me in an absolute chokehold. Wren is an absolute BADDIE. This girl has and continues to go through so much and she is still standing strong. And don’t even get me started on the men because it wasn’t just Cross that caught my eye. I’ll leave it at that. 🤭 But Cross tho. DIVINE. That mouth??? Hello. He had me giddy. I feel like you spend the first half of this book just getting to know the FMC and her predicament. But then the second half of the book it just ramps up. The action in the intensity was insane. When it hit the fan, it hit the fan. And I mean this in regard to the romance and the plot. I was literally holding my breath the last 20%. It was dumpster fire after dumpster fire and I could not stop watching. I don’t want to say too much and spoil it because you really need to go in blind like I did. I think it’ll give you the best experience. But, I really enjoyed Wren and Cross’s story so far and I cannot wait to see what is to come next. Am I also absolutely terrified? 100% yes. But I think that’s what makes us so exhilarating. You are just constantly on your toes. Genuinely I want pretty much every characters story at this point. I had the best time reading this. It gave me every emotion you could ask for. I love when a story just grabs you and makes you feel like you’re right there with the characters. It genuinely felt like this entire book was playing like a movie in my head. I just know Broken Dove is going to be insane. There is so much left to explore.

This book was a struggle for me. I was promised Divergent for adults and honestly, this wasn't it for me. Divergent had tension, slow build up, earned trust between characters, found family, factions, and more. It's one of my favorite books and this book wasn't that. It wasn't a bad book, but it wasn't a top read for me. It's just good, kinda like Cheetos or snacky junk food. More thoughts: Wren has way too many love interests and everything feels super shallow. She's obsessed with her mental telepathic friend, wolf. She's sleeping around with soldiers and making risky choices in chapter 1. She meets the love interest for the majority of the book in the first chapter. There's very little tension between them and everything just feels flat. The lusty/insta-love vibe didn't work for me and having a major piece of the book not hit right diminished the rest of the story for me. The rebellion didn't feel threatening enough. There were moments that were pretty good, but this book just felt underwhelming for me. It was really long, but it felt full of fluff. I didn't hate it, but I don't know if the ending is enough to make me want the next book. This is a good book for fun reading, but it doesn't have the angsty tension I love in my romance stories. It reads very much like a spicy YA read. That being said, I enjoyed the book. It was a good side book and I think it would make an EXCELLENT audiobook because it's got a great storyline for that. It was a very easy read. I enjoyed the side characters, probably more than the main characters. The last 1/4 was when things began to get more exciting with the attacks. What happens: Silver Elite is the story of a Wren a girl with powers who lives in a society that is at war. Those without powers are hunting down and eliminating those with powers. Wren's guardian is killed and she is forced into a military academy for the people that are hunting the Modified. She falls in love with her commanding officer and is betrayed by people close to her. She escapes and joins the Modified rebellion and her lover remains behind. Tropes: Military Dystopian Insta-Love (NOT Slow) Spicy Academia/Training Rebellion

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦 is the kind of book that tightens its grip and doesn’t let go. The tension here isn’t just felt—it’s embedded in the bones of the story: the twisty, high-stakes plot, the suffocating weight of power and control, and the magnetic pull between two people who 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 shouldn’t touch each other but absolutely do. I’m still trying to process the sheer enormity of my emotional response. Francis has concocted an addictive blend of dystopian, fantasy, and political thriller—𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 with spice, set in an arena that echoes 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨’s Basgiath, and paced like 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 or 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘰. Over my single-sitting binge, I was nostalgic, protective, thrilled, aghast, intrigued, feral, and infuriated. Feet were kicking. Butterflies were fluttering. Scoffs were scoffed. To be clear: this is not a world I want to live in. But that’s what makes it work. There’s something deliciously frustrating about dystopian fiction when it’s done right—it leaves you anxious and furious, rooting for a hero clawing her way through corruption while bracing for the other shoe to drop. Francis nails pacing. There isn’t a single lull. Even the “test of the day” structure in the training setting stays fresh, elevated by sharp character development and sizzling chemistry. The plot twists span the spectrum—from the ones you see coming but still 𝘩𝘪𝘵, to the OMFG gut-punches that leave you breathless and scrolling back just to make sure it really happened. The pair at the heart of this book are enemies in theory, soulmates in practice, and completely allergic to keeping things professional. Wren, our psychic, sharpshooting FMC, is left with no one to trust in a world that would kill her if it knew what she was. She’s ferocious and aching, a seasoned liar who owns her independence but deep down just wants someone she can trust. Cross, her off-limits, son-of-her-enemy instructor, is the least sensible person to lean on—and the hardest to stay away from. The invisible string between them is pulled tight from the start and only gets more taut with every failed attempt at self-control. 𝑶𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 🩵 Psychic powers that feel more evolved than magical, and blend seamlessly into the world 💙 Side characters you’ll root for and despise with equal intensity 🩶 A feral, broody, dark-haired book boyfriend channeling Xaden & Four 🤍 Political dynamics that are murky, messy, and deeply compelling 🖤 Sizzling spice that lands harder thanks to emotional intimacy done right 🕊️ High stakes that keep you blazing through and leave you feral for the next book Yes, there were a few “did she really just 🙄” moments in the final act. But the rest is so sharp, so satisfying, and so emotionally high-stakes that it’s impossible not to give this one five stars. I’m obsessed with this duo—and deeply unsettled by the world they’re trapped in. 𝑻𝑳;𝑫𝑹: If 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 and 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨 had a morally gray psychic child and raised her on 𝘘𝘶𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘰 or 𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘴 re-runs with forbidden romance as a bedtime story—this would be her origin story. 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦 is fast-paced, swoony, dark, and utterly addictive. Wren and Cross live rent-free in my head now. Good luck prying them out.

This book sucked me in from the start. Love the characters and the story build up of how they got to where they are. I can tell there is still so much left unknown and can't wait to find out everything!

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.

⭐️ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️➕ 🌶️ Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🎧 Audiobook: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Must Listen I absolutely LOVED this book. This wasn’t just a five-star read for me—it was one of those rare books that completely takes over your life for a few days. You know you’ve found a special book when you’re thinking about it even when you’re not reading it. That was me with Silver Elite. Every chance I had, I picked it back up, and every night I’d tell myself, “Just one more chapter…” We all know how that ends. 😂 “One more chapter” somehow turned into reading until the middle of the night… and then until the morning. More than once. I was completely hooked. The characters had me fully invested from the beginning. I wasn’t just reading about them—I was emotionally attached to them. I celebrated their victories, worried about what would happen next, and found myself completely immersed in their world. The pacing was absolutely phenomenal. There wasn’t a single point where I wanted to put the book down. Every chapter seemed to end with another reason to keep reading, another question that needed answering, or another twist that kept pulling me deeper into the story. The romance, the tension, the action, the mystery, the world-building… everything worked together so well. Every time I thought I knew where the story was headed, something happened that made me question everything all over again. But then… THAT ENDING. What the…?! 😳🤯 I just sat there staring at the page trying to process what had happened. Needless to say, I immediately downloaded book two because there was absolutely no way I was leaving this story there. And I have to give a huge shoutout to the audiobook. This was my very first book narrated by Amanda Dolan, and she absolutely knocked it out of the park. She brought so much emotion, personality, and intensity to every scene that I found myself completely immersed in the story. It’s always fun discovering a new narrator to love, and she instantly earned a spot on my favorites list. The best part? I realized that a lot of the books on my very large TBR are also narrated by Amanda Dolan, so now I’m even more excited to dive into them. I have a feeling this definitely won’t be my last audiobook with her behind the mic. 🎧❤️ Not only will I recommend this book over and over again (and I already have!), but I couldn’t wait to jump right back into this world the second I finished. Books like this don’t come along very often. This wasn’t just a book I enjoyed. It was an experience. One of my absolute favorites, and without question, a new addition to my personal Hall of Fame. ❤️📚✨

I have conflicting feelings about this book. The last 5 chapters were probably the best of the entire book. Wren drove me crazy with her wishy washy feelings.

Wow. Never has a book exceeded my expectations and had me SAT through the entire thing! I couldn’t put it down even if I tried. Just, wow!

Leggendo la trama non mi ero resa conto fosse un distopico (a posteriori mi chiedo esattamente come, visto quanto è palese) e per fortuna, perchè mi sarei persa un libro veramente bello, dato che i distopici li evito come la peste. Wren non mi è piaciuta del tutto, è troppo impulsiva per i miei gusti, tuttavia alla lunga sono riuscita ad affezionarmi a lei. E' coraggiosa e una testa calda, tuttavia ha un cuore grande e il semplice terrore di restare sola. La scelta che fa sul finale è la cosa più stupida che potesse fare, ma in qualche modo l'autrice doveva far proseguire il libro, no? Cross invece è un cucciolo, che nasconde la sua vera personalità, e i suoi segreti dietro una facciata fredda e distaccata. Avevo intuito fin da subito un paio dei suoi segreti, e il modo in cui sono venuti alla luce l'ho trovato una delle scene migliori del libro. Sulla questione della resistenza ho sentimenti contrastanti. Da un lato capisco la loro volontà di salvare i Mod e di libertà, dall'altra credo non sia tutto oro ciò che luccica e che i loro metodi potrebbero presto portare Wren a cambiare bandiera.

M'encantada con el libro Llego en buenas condiciones

AD/PR - with thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for my advance copy. I’m not even sure where to start in reviewing Silver Elite by Dani Francis, it absolutely blew me away, but my goodness do I NEED book 2 now! I can’t believe that this is a debut; it’s that perfect mix of romantasy and dystopia that absolutely hits the spot. If you grew up loving The Hunger Games and Divergent, then fell in love with Forth Wing as an adult, you’re going to want Silver Elite in your life, trust me! It’s out tomorrow and I’m so excited for my hardback copy to arrive (you better believe I preordered the blue edged/silver foiled edition!). We’re thrust straight into the action in Silver Elite where we follow Wren Darlington, a Mod with physic powers. Mods gained these powers following a biotoxin that nearly wiped out the entire population 150 years ago, leaving them enhanced by it. The Primes fear the Mods & under the strict rule of General Redden being found to be a Mod can mean certain death. Wren has survived by hiding her abilities, helped by her Uncle Jim. But when a mistake places her in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military she is forced to join a program for their most elite force, the Silver Block. Unwittingly, her enemy has given her - & the Mod Uprising - the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks. That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, & prove herself to Cross Redden, her cocky, maddeningly attractive commanding officer. This book was entirely addictive and there is so much I could say about it, but I also don’t want to give too much away: 🐦‍⬛ We’ve got a brilliant FMC in Wren, she’s brave, but also reckless and impulsive. She’s pretty cocky & very funny. She knows what she’s good at but has to figure out what she can show & what she needs to hold back to protect herself. She’s also going through a lot of personal turmoil in trying to figure out her place within the training program & how she feels versus how she thinks she should feel. 🐺 a brilliant MMC in Cross; this man is tough but man does he have it bad for Wren. I loved that we got a few see increasingly different sides to him throughout the book. The slightly feral and jealous edge worked very well. 🐦‍⬛ the chemistry between Wren and Cross was excellent, their banter worked brilliantly & I loved that he had to chase her. There is a little hint of a love triangle early on but this is quickly resolved leading to a brilliant slow burn. 🐺 a brilliant set of side characters, some of whom are wonderful (here’s looking at you Kaine) whereas others are downright awful, but together they make the most compelling story. The found family element worked so well, especially given the unease Wren felt. 🐦‍⬛ I really liked the training setting, it was giving all the best parts of Divergent and Fourth Wing whilst also being entirely unique. …and that undercover op phew 🔥 🐺 there are some brilliant twists and turns in this one. There is one storyline that I did guess but I was genuinely so happy to find I guessed right, whilst others took me by total suprise. This book is insanely good and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

All the stars! This was amazing, I could not stop reading, I did not want to stop reading. I love the world. The powers. The telepathy. Daisy & Wolf. Cross is perfect. Wren is fierce. I need more. Gosh, I can’t wait for the next book. You must read this book!!!! Keen?!

I knew I would get sucked into this book the moment I read the premise. What I did not expect was to become completely obsessed. The Plot The story takes place in a dystopian world where a brutal war is raging between the Mods (people with abilities) and the Primes (those without them). The country is ruled with an iron fist by General Redden, and the oppressive atmosphere makes every decision feel dangerous. The pacing is honestly perfect. The chapters are the ideal length and the story never drags. You go from intense action scenes to political tension, from shocking twists to emotional moments, and somehow it all flows effortlessly. Every time I thought I understood where the story was going, the author pulled the rug out from under me. The Characters At the beginning, I’m not going to lie… Wren was a little frustrating. Her constant rebellion and tendency to sabotage herself made her hard to root for at first. But the more the story unfolds, the more layers you discover. She’s reckless, impulsive, and far from perfect—but she’s also brave and deeply human, and by the end I was completely invested in her journey. Cross… oh Cross. He is that MMC. The one who barely needs to speak before you feel the tension in the room. The one who quietly steals every scene he’s in and then proceeds to live rent-free in your head for the rest of the book. And then there’s Kaine. Kaine is charming, funny, and flirts with Wren constantly. But the entire time I was reading I kept thinking: “Sir… respectfully… back off. You are not the endgame.” There is definitely more to him than meets the eye. I suspected some things before the reveal, but that didn’t stop me from getting extremely annoyed. Let’s just say he very much feels like the chaos agent brought in to stir up trouble. The Romance Yes, there is a love triangle. Let me make one thing very clear: I am firmly Team Cross. Thankfully, the romance doesn’t fall into the frustrating trope where the FMC jumps from one guy to another every five minutes (hello Tory Vega). The attraction actually develops over time and feels earned. Even with the added tension of a second love interest, the emotional connection between the main couple feels stronger and more meaningful. There is some spice, but not an overwhelming amount—and honestly I appreciated that. It never feels excessive or forced into the story. Final Thoughts This book had everything I love in a dystopian romantasy: tension, betrayal, political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and twists that make you question everything. By the time I reached the final chapters, I was emotionally destroyed in the best possible way. Now I’m just sitting here impatiently waiting for Book 2…