Silver Elite

Silver Elite #1

by Dani Francis

WELCOME TO SILVER BLOCK - DISCOVER THE OBSESSION THAT IS SILVER ELITE.In this sizzling dystopian romance, perfect for fans of­ Fourth Wing ­and ­The Hunger Games, your secrets can be a death sentence, and there are rules to

TRUST NO ONE.

Twenty-year-old Wren Darlington is not your ordinary Mod. She’s one of the most powerful in existence.

But her world is divided. On the Continent, being a known Modified means certain death, as the Primes - those immune to the biotoxin that nearly wiped out the population 150 years ago - want nothing more than to eliminate those who were enhanced by the toxin and developed psychic powers.

LIE TO EVERYONE.

Wren has survived all these years by concealing her abilities and keeping a low profile while doing what she can to aid the rebel Uprising in fighting against the Primes’ oppressive rule. But one careless mistake places her in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military, and she is forced to join their most elite Silver Block. Unwittingly, her enemy has given her - and the Uprising - the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.

AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.

That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, and prove herself to Cross Redden, her cocky, maddeningly attractive commanding officer.

Despite the explosive chemistry between them, Wren cannot let Cross get in the way of her mission. But as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, emotions run high and secrets are revealed, forcing Wren to decide how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.

Genres: Fantasy, Dystopia, Romantasy, Romance, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers, Science Fiction

515 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2025

About the author

Dani Francis is the New York Times bestselling author of Silver Elite. She is an avid reader, a lover of all things breakfast, and a hopeless romantic. When she is not creating high-stakes fantasy worlds and complex characters, you can find Dani spending time with family or trying to figure out why the printer never works.

Reviews

[Clace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinite stars!

This book is my Roman empire.

"Maybe our choices are the catalysts that set the course of events in motion. Maybe our fate isn't so much predetermined as it is influenced by the decisions we make"

Tell me why I loved this book so much?? I was so excited for it!! Like my expectations were through the roof but it still managed to surpass them?? It's literally the bane of my existence. It consumed my soul, it had me hooked so bad!! it did not let me go, honestly, I tried to get up and do my work but I would find myself tucked in my bed with my Ipad because this book was so damn addicting!! AHH stupid me decided to read this on the most busy week of my life, I literally missed my assignments deadline because I was reading this and I had to beg my professor to accept :) (He gave me a lecture but he accepted it(the lecture was as long as the class)) but this was so worth doing that like I actually do not care I would skip my assignment and read it all over again if I had to and I envy all of you so much for being able to read it again for the first time :( I want that again. Buddy reading this with Iqra made this book even more fun, like we were so in sync and we binged it sooo fast. Everything that could go right for a book, fortunately, went right here.

The writing style was simply amazing, it was honestly easy to follow, I kind of predicted some of the plot twist but there were one or two that caught me off guard, the way it's written is so easy to grab your attention like I honestly cant get past 10pm these days but it had me awake till 4 am, simply, because I could not resist. This book is a siren, I'm afraid. This honestly gave me what Fourth Wing couldn't, even though I liked fw's first book this was 10x better, like pull all the good stuff from fourth wing amplify it and all the bottled potential and ace that and you'll get Silver Elite. The academy setting made me it a more enjoyable experience because I just have a soft spot for settings like that. The friendships, the romance, the plot, everything was balanced so well that I honestly had no complaints except for how short this books was (It's 516 pages) It can easily be 1500. Also the sense of nostalgia was so strong with this one because it's written in a way where it took me back to the 2010's dystopian era while remaining unique with it's own idea and I loved that feeling so much!! Like I was craving it so bad. I also feel like the letters and the test results that were at the end of some of the chapters will help people enjoy this book more!!

MY FAVOURITE PART: The Characters;

Wren Darlington, I love her, I love her, I love her, I love her. Okayy, so I always loved her and I didn't feel annoyed at all. I enjoyed her development throughout the book and I really liked how her character shaped up to be but I just felt very connected to her, I was enjoying reading her pov, her inner monologue so much that I wasn't bothered, she was so badass like if you want a strong badass fmc, look no further. She was actually such a diva lmao she had everyone fooled and I loved reading her deceive people. She was so cocky and sarcastic but not too overly quirky, she wasn't weak and got shit done and honestly it's been so long since I've read about an fmc who has had in this extreme of a chokehold like ufffff her badassery was so hott and I love how she never felt insecure, she knew she was good enough and pretended to be bad just for her mission and she atee.

Cross Redden, A MAN, A MAN, A ma-ma-ma-mannn. If you think Wren was amazing, breathtaking, beautiful, hot?? wait till you meet Cross he was so charming like he had this irresistible charm. This bitch wouldn't even do anything at times but the hotness would be radiating off of him and woohooo I was fanning myself. The things he said, he did had me creasing. He knew how to vex Wren and he did it in the best way, his comments on Wren's tests had howling because it was soo funny, we also love a man who's jealous and admits it right int he fmc's face that he is. I knew he was a softie at the core of his heart because the things he did <33 the action scenes didnt help reduce his hotness, they amplified it, the descriptions were so yum. This never happens, the last time I liked both the male and female character to this extent was when I was reading tog and before that was when I read the mindfuck series, so, to see characters who I could love like that felt so refreshing to read.

Side characters, I really enjoyed the cast of side characters that were presented to us. They had the perfect amount of page time, it wasn't too overpowering and it also wasn't underwhelming, we had Kaine, I liked him a lot and I really liked his humor as well, the banter that he brought and the way his character was written and the way his actions foreshadowed the future was really fun to read. Xavier, I actually like him and I did find him cute at times BUT why was he so susss. Lydia, I never trusted and never will trust this raggedy ass bitch. Ivy, she was cool, I wanna see more of her in the next book!! Roe, ahahaha he reminded of that guy I forgot his name but that greasy bitch from throne of glass that we hated so much in kingdom of ash but make him more unhinged, insecure and psychotic, you'll get roe.

The romance, WHERE DO I EVEN START!!!!! It was everything, I was a little hesitant when it started because it was lusty when it started and I was like hmm idk how to feel about it but the development was top notchhh, there were bits of a love triangle but it gets resolved within the book and its not overly influenced on the book and even tho the love triangle made me conflicted I always knew Cross would be the endgame loll like Kaine would do cute stuff and try to steal my heart but Cross would just open his mouth and we all would be Team Cross, it was enemies to lovers to an extent, it had angst, a little bit of slow burn, forced proximity, natural chemistry, the sexual tension was off the charts, and the spicy scenes were soooo hot like she delivered. I have never been thsi passionate over a debut book!! It was so good I wanna cry cuz I know I'll never experience anything like this for such a long timeeeee. I love books like this but i hate the aftermath.

The plot and the worldbuilding were so good, they were given ample of time and it was just overall well balanced, i was so invested in it and I wanted to know what was going to happen next, each chapter left me wanting more. The plot twists were so enjoyable and gave this story an edge I liked learning about the past, there were the last few chapters that fucked with my brain so hard that I wanted to cryyy ugh writing this review is making me wanna reread it already like I Honestly did not know who trust and its set up so good, the letters, the way they act, its all written so well that it makes you question your sanity. The base work of the worldbuilding was there, it wasn't in detail but it was enough for me to be satisfied and not notice its lacking but I would like to see it expand in the next books.

Overall, the best book of the year for me!! definitely read it.

P.S; I highlighted so many quotes but I removed this book from my kindle and they go deleted :(
_
Guys I've been trying to read my cr but my minds still stuck on this 😭
__
I haven't even read the last chapter but I'm telling you this book is my favourite book of the year. I love it sooooooo much .
___
I have heard such good things about this book!! and I am so happy that I got an ARC, let's hope it meets my expectations.

-Buddy reading with Iqra.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for giving me an E-Arc of this book*

[anh · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Let me be clear right away: I didn’t hate this book.

In fact, I had a pretty good time with it. I flew through the chapters, stayed engaged from beginning to end, and never once felt bored. That alone puts it ahead of plenty of books I’ve slogged through. It’s fast, easy to read, and undeniably bingeable which is no small thing. There’s a real satisfaction in tearing through a book in a day or two and getting swept up in the momentum. And this one? Had momentum.

The pacing is tight and the world-building is simple enough to grasp without needing a glossary. The action kicks in early and keeps things moving. Even the romance (as flawed as it is) adds some tension and drama to the mix. So yes, on a surface level, Silver Elite works. It entertains. It holds your attention. But chapter after chapter, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something essential was missing. It felt like reading the outline of a better book—great premise, decent structure, but absolutely no depth.

This book wasn’t written for fans of dystopian fiction—it was written for fans of the aesthetic of dystopia. The author seemed more interested in the look and feel of dystopian settings than in the actual systems, consequences, or ideology behind them. What should’ve been a brutal, oppressive regime is instead a vague backdrop that exists only to justify a spicy enemies-to-lovers arc. Any potential for real political commentary is sacrificed at the altar of romance and not even a good one.

And let’s talk about expectations. I came into this book prepared for something that could stand beside The Hunger Games or Divergent. That’s what people kept comparing it to. I was ready for something genre-defining but Silver Elite doesn’t belong in that category. Not even close.

I kept waiting for that click, that moment that would justify the hype and it never came. What I got was a mildly fun, ultimately shallow sci-fi story with psychic powers and a romance that’s just them fucking.

And that’s the frustrating part because the premise is great. The world is divided into Primes—those immune to a deadly bioweapon, and Mods—those altered by it and given psychic abilities. Wren Darlington (terrible name, sorry) is a Mod with four different gifts. She’s drafted into an elite Prime military unit, the Silver Block, and forced to live and fight alongside her enemies. She’s dangerous. She’s different. The rebellion is simmering. The setup screams high-stakes conflict, power struggles, betrayal, and rebellion.

But the book never digs into any of it!

We’re told there’s oppression, surveillance, a massive class divide but we barely see it. The world feels like dystopia on mute—vague and underdeveloped

The stakes are so low and the danger is abstract. In The Hunger Games, the Capitol is a constant presence—you feel the fear, the manipulation, the propaganda. In Silver Elite, the ruling regime feels distant and ineffective. Honestly? Comparing the two is borderline insulting.

Then there’s the romance. Wren and Cross are clearly attracted to each other, and sure, I enjoyed the early banter. But their relationship begins in the weirdest way—he sees her naked and that’s the moment that sets off their entire dynamic? Be fucking serious. That’s not romantic or edgy. And from there, everything escalates so fast in a whiplash, sex-before-substance kind of way. There’s no emotional development and no trust. They just fuck A LOT and that’s their whole relationship. Frankly, Wren’s connection with Kaine was more compelling. And yeah, I don’t care if Kaine’s blonde—he was so much hotter than Cross.

This whole book is 2012 YA dystopia dressed up as “adult” fiction by tacking on some sex scenes.

The plot? Predictable. The twist with Wolf? Laughable. Nothing shocked me but I kept turning the pages, and that counts for something because it’s compulsively readable. But here’s the thing: the best genre fiction takes familiar tropes and reinvents them. Silver Elite just repackages them and hopes the aesthetic will carry the weight.

Even the writing, while serviceable, lacks a distinct voice. It’s easy to fly through, sure, but that’s down to pacing—not prose. The dialogue veers into cringe sooo many times. Wren’s internal monologue shifts dramatically depending on the scene, like the book couldn’t quite decide who she was supposed to be. It’s not bad. It’s just flat. And sometimes, dare I say, it was giving AI.

The marketing really hurt this book. It was hyped as bold, gritty, sexy, genre-defining adult dystopian fiction. And that’s just not what this is. If you go in expecting The Hunger Games or Divergent, you’ll walk away disappointed. Those books at least had structure and systems. They had something important to say. Silver Elite wants to sit at the same table, but it doesn’t do the work. It flirts with rebellion, injustice, authoritarian control but never commits to exploring any of it.

And that’s the real letdown. This book could have been something special. The concept is smart, the setup is intriguing but the story never pushes past the surface. It chooses to be safe, tropey, and sexy. And hey—if that’s what you’re here for? You’ll probably have fun.

But let’s stop calling it the next big thing because it’s not. If this had been marketed as a fast-paced, trope-heavy, spicy sci-fi with dystopian flavouring, I might’ve been more forgiving. But when you promise something groundbreaking, and deliver something average? That’s when it stings.

So would I recommend this book? Yes—but with a very specific disclaimer. Go in for the vibes, not the substance. Expect a fast, flawed, mildly addictive ride that entertains, but never elevates.

I didn’t hate it. But I didn’t love it either. And to me, that’s the most frustrating kind of book—the kind that could have been great, but chose mediocrity instead.

This review sounds really negative—and I promise, I did genuinely enjoy reading this. I had such a fun time buddy reading this with Cherie! Talking with her about the plot, throwing around theories, and just yapping about the chaos was honestly a highlight.

[Iqra · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF THIS YEARRR!!!! 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

Imagine that one book that had ur heart racing, blood pumping, fighting sleep for one more chapter, giggling blushing biting the tip of ur finger while twirling ur hair whenever the main characters interact, soo sickkk when u read a crazy plot twist, fascinated by the world, gives u that nostalgic feeling, basically making u emo for the characters the plot the action the romance??? Yeah, well, that was this book for me xx

If the x men and divergent had a love child it would be this book.



The second I finished this book I SLEPT for seven hrs straight 😭 the way this book had me fighting sleep but also wide awake for it too. Like I had adrenaline pumping thru my veins I was feeling such a rushhhh

I litch found it the worst act in history to have to put this book down to do anything else like feeding myself or talking to ppl. LIKE THIS IS NOT THE TIMEEE I NEED TO DEVOWWER THE BOOK OR ILL IMPLODE

It had EVERYTHING I was looking for. It being set in an academy too?? i felt like a caveman who just saw fire for the first time 🧚‍♀️. The plot, the action, the romance, the tension and chemistry, the amazing world building. Everything was so perfectly balanced and evenly placed in the book. It all had a time and a reason.

In no way is this peak masterful literature but it was a good time and the vibes were sooo buzzy I couldn’t get enough! Most of the plot twists were kinda predictable but some weren’t and I loved that. I went in with no expectations except knowing the blurb sounded like it would be something I’d enjoy and turns out I was right.

There was not a single dry page IM TELLING U 🤚 like u’d think it would be crazy amounts of info dumping but it wasn’t — the world building was so accessible and interesting while also being intricate and detailed. Gahhh pls I wanna gobble this book again I don’t feel like leaving.

Wren, the fmc, is so loveable and amazing. It’s been a MINUTE since I’ve loved on an fmc this much. Especially in the fantasy genre it’s harder for me to relate or her to become someone I would love or be friends with but wren?? She’s sister material. I never not once got annoyed with her because she was genuinely smart and savvy it didn’t feel forced or like a gimmick. She was good at the shit she knew and acknowledged when she wasn’t so she took it on herself to learn. She’s also the sweetest girl everrr like she can be snarky and sarcastic but also vulnerable too 😩 I love her so much 🥹 she’s been thru sooo much ugh I wanna protect her with my whole chest.

CROSS??? THATS MY MAN I CLAIM HIM‼️ he is everything I look for in an mmc.

Miss Francis rlly took every want out of my brain and said dinners on me. So who am I to deny a delicacy? 😋💋

The brutal sarcasm that gets you laffing louder than a hyena on crack, the quiet soft spot for her, to then PATHETIC always only for her, is competent in his job, gets shit done, doesn’t talk much but only with herrr- he’s litch this and moreee I cannot do him justice u just have to read it 🤚 no bc this man was HUNGRY for his girl. The way he never shied away from how he felt. GOD. He was sooooo blunt about how he NEEDED her — eye rolling toe curling shit like you wouldn’t believeeeeeee the crazy tension.



This guy had no chill and I was licking my fingers, smacking my lips, wiping the plate kleannhhhh. I’m talking I had to savour every interaction every glance every passing jab at each other 🫦🫦🫦🫦 God. I love him. Can u tell? No like seriously EVERYONE NEEDS TO LOVE ON THIS MAN. He’s soooo 🙏💗💞💘🦋😮‍💨🪭

I’m litch not ready to move on. I can’t. I wanna reread RFN. I see the obsession taking root already.

Me on release day:


𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
I just knowwwwwwww this will be the next talk of the town
*Edit update after release: I was right lol*


𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Easy — kaytranada
Feelin’ me — kode
Set it off — O.N.E.
I know love — Tate ft. The kid laroi


ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

16/3/25 — Not a day has gone by that I don’t think about this book SEND HELP

***

11/3/25 — I’m writing the review and I feel like going back to page one and reading it all over again- STOP THIS MADNESS

***

I’m soo sickkkk. . .





Rtc when my head stops hurting from all these racing thoughts rotting my brain



***
Update: DARE I SAY THIS IS BETTER THAN FOURTH WING-

BR with Clace, praying this book turns out to be a five star 🤞

*

4/3/25 — PLS IM LITCH SOBBING ON MY FLOOR BC I GOT THE ARC 😭😭 DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE U GUYS


1/3/25 — This book sounds soooo freaking good pls 😩 it’s got everything I want in a fantasy book i neeeeed itttttt

all the ppl getting arcs how does it feel to live my dream ‼️

[Jack Edwards · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started out promising… at least there’s that?

Imagine a dystopian world in which your people are oppressed and marginalised. Your uncle has just been murdered by the regime. You are left with no-one in the world, truly and utterly alone....

But you’re just too damn horny to do anything about it.

Yes, our main character spends the entire novel just lusting over her oppressor. The "dystopia" is just the backdrop for the smut, rendering it meaningless.

*SPOILER WARNING*** YOUVE BEEN WARNED: YES there’s a twist but it’s very convenient when your hot oppressor turns out to be on your side all along, especially when you would otherwise have been too horny to care. Diabolical.

[ageless · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would give this book zero stars if I could.

This book was sold to me as the Hunger Games and Divergent had a spicy adult dystopian baby or "Katniss for adults".

I don't know about you, but when I think of dystopia as a book genre, I think of the Hunger Games, Brave New World, 1984, The Handmaiden's Tale, Fahrenheit 451, etc. Books that whether you like them or not–whether you agree with them or not–are interested in exploring real world issues. These are books that have something to say about the state of the world, be it the exploration of the economic, sociopolitical, environmental, technological, religious, or ethical extremes. They are speculative post-apocalyptic societies that take our current day issues and imagine the extremes of the potential consequences if we don't get a handle on them. These are books that often feature corrupt, oppressive governments, perfected use of propaganda, surveillance states, war-torn devastation, environmental destruction, and extreme oppression.

Silver Elite sees all that the dystopian genre has used to explore modern day issues, and asks the daring question of "what if I used this as a backdrop for my nazi fanfic?"

Silver Elite is for the girlies that missed the point of the Hunger Games; the girls that participated in the Gale vs Peeta debate not as an ideological war between the concepts of violence and revenge, versus the hope of peace and healing, but as the vapid discussion of dark haired broody man vs blonde golden retriever.

Silver Elite is for the girlies that thought Divergent's message of "you actually can have more than one facet to your personality" was groundbreaking, or worse, were only reading it because they thought Four was hot.

It's for the women that think reading isn't political and books only exist to hand them their next copy-paste "book boyfriend". It's for the people that say "it's not that deep" in response to any single criticism of a book that they "turned their brain off" for. It's for people that only pick up romance and yet, also don't value romance as a genre that can say something interesting or thought provoking.

Because yes, you're right. I suppose any book could be five stars if you consumed it without letting a single thought enter your brain. Me, personally, I like to think when I read. And Silver Elite is really, REALLY bad.

Silver Elite isn't just bad because it's poorly written, or because the bulk of the world building can only be found on the BLURB in the front flap of the book. Genuinely, the biotoxin that gave all of the oppressed people their psychic powers isn't mentioned in the actual text until 36% through and only in dialogue even then with little to no explanation.

It's bad because it's not even thinly veiled right wing propaganda. It's obvious, blatant right wing propaganda. If this book were a person, it's that white "liberal" girl who dates nazis.

It's bad because the characters aren't consistent even from page to page, much less chapter to chapter.
For example: Wren Darlington finds out that her commanding officer (Cross Redden) the man the man she has been drooling over, is the son of the General, the dictator of the oppressive militaristic government that hunts down Wren's people. Upon finding out this information, Wren informs the reader that all attraction she had to Cross is completely gone. Three pages later, she remarks that she's never been more aroused as Cross tells someone to shut the fuck up.
This is just one of the many examples of Wren completely contradicting herself within the same fucking chapter.

Wren as a character is rather paradoxical. She clearly wants to be this badass, independent woman that doesn't give two fucks, but in reality waffles between being a cowardly, meek pushover, and an arrogant, impulsive dumbass from paragraph to paragraph. Her single trait that remains somewhat stable is the fact that she is repulsively horny, and not even in a funny way.
After her father figure/uncle gets executed in front of her, she is brought in by the government's military to be questioned, and instead of reacting like a normal person, she repeatedly tells the reader about how gorgeous and how sexy all of these military officers (people actively involved in the murder of her uncle that she supposedly cares about) are. Especially Cross who's totally not going to be her love interest.
Any character trait that might have been admirable (traits that are already few and far between) about Wren in the first chapter are completely gone by the time she is forcibly conscripted into the military by Cross Redden after her uncle's murder.

Don't worry I'll get to the shit-stain that is Cross Redden later.

First, I want to talk briefly about Wren in the military training course.
Wren is like many other romantasy protagonists in that she is perfect at everything. She's the best at shooting guns, she's the fastest, she's the strongest, she's the smartest, she's good at everything she tries. She has four magical psychic abilities and she's the strongest at those too. And she knows it from the first page.
When she is first conscripted into military training, she purposefully tries to fail out of it. Cross Redden refuses to cut her though, for whatever reason (he wants to fuck her), and tells Wren that her options are to join the military or to be thrown into the labor camps.
Yes, you read that correctly, LABOR CAMPS. In this book, the people with psychic powers (called Mods) are the oppressed class. They're not just second class citizens, they are actively hunted down and killed by those without powers (called the Elites). Sometimes, the Elites don't kill the Mods, and instead, the Mods are thrown into labor camps where they are forced to mine salt.
And Wren isn't forcibly conscripted into just any part of the military, she is conscripted into the Silver Block, the wing of the military that hunts down people like her, the Mods.
Wren continues to fail out of the military training until she is contacted by the Uprising, a group of Mod rebels that are severely underdeveloped. I read the whole book and I have no idea what their motives are beyond opposing the Elite-ran government.
The Uprising tells Wren that she has to get into the Silver Elite, a special force that is granted higher clearance and actively kills Mods. The Silver Elite is ran by none other than Cross Redden.
Wren now tries to actively succeed in the military training, and she does, of course, because she's good at everything. She's so good that she makes it into the Silver Elite without any real struggle at all. And, she tells the reader that she actually really likes the military, and all of these Elites that train to kill her people are actually pretty nice people once you get to know them.

In fact, this book is extremely sympathetic to the Elites at all times. All of them say extremely deplorable things about the Mods, and go virtually unchallenged by Wren or anyone else. Wren consistently refers to herself and other Mods as a monsters for their abilities, and wonders if they have any right to disrupt these nice Elites' lives at all. She even fantasizes about what if would be like to be normal and not have her powers.
May I remind you that the Elites are running Mod slave labor camps in the background of the story.
I could excuse some of this if the narrative challenged any of this ever, like even at all, but it doesn't. This book doesn't give a shit about exploring the oppression of the Mods beyond using it as set up for Wren having a "forbidden romance" with Cross Redden, the leader of the Silver Elite that hunts down her people.

Let's talk about Cross Redden.

Cross is an evil, disgusting sewer creature pulled from the depths of Satan's asshole.
He's the son of the General, the literal evil dictator of the Continent. He runs the Silver Elite, and claims that he "doesn't get involved with recruits" but from the moment that he slinks into the first chapter, he is continuously touching Wren without her consent.
Very early on in the book the following scene takes place (Wren is the first person narrator for context):

"In other words," I finish, my voice cold, "don't touch me again without my permission."
Cross's gaze never leaves my face. "Or what?"
I frown at him.
"What are you going to do, Darlington? Hit me? Go ahead. Do it."

EXCUSE ME????? How tf is the love interest in your "romance" book going to reply to a strong boundary of "don't touch me again" with "Or what?" Or WHAT????

And after this scene, do you know what Cross continues to do?
He keeps touching Wren without her permission.
There is like seven different scenes of Cross grabbing Wren from behind without consent, often times in dark hallways, and then pinning her against a door or wall. Often times he's also drunk. Not to mention, he is in a postion of immense power over her. He has the power to, at any moment, cut her from the military and ship her off to a labor camp.
Nearly all of their interactions consist of Wren telling Cross to not touch her, or that she isn't interested in him. The reader knows that she finds him really hot, but Cross literally cannot read her mind. He hears her say all of these things and continually sexualizes her, says sexual things to her, touches her sexually, calls her a whore, and talks about how hard he gets thinking about her.
It's disgusting. It's not hot.

And that's not even the worst part of his character. He is the leader of the Silver Elite, and he is a secret Mod, and when confronted by Wren over the fact that he is commiting a genocide against her people, Cross asks Wren if she has ever seen him kill a Mod.
Wren then, in her internal narration, tells the reader that, no, she hasn't ever seen him kill a Mod, in fact, instead he sends them to the labor camps, and that's "a thousand times better than burying their corpses"!!!

I'm sorry??
And you know what else? When Wren asks if he wants to work for the Uprising to free the Mods from the labor camp, he immediately, without hesitation, refuses.

The narrative of this book genuinely wants its readers to believe that sending people to labor camps where they are enslaved (slave is literally a word Wren uses to describe the people in them) is a mercy compared killing them.
There is no moment in the book where Wren pushes back against Cross and tries to change this idea, or even suggests that maybe the Mods and Elites should both have equal human rights.

The book constantly pulls the "both sides are bad" card, and at times even seems to suggest that the Elites are right for being afraid of the Mods and putting them into labor camps. If this is not obvious right wing propaganda to you, especially in our current climate, I'm concerned for you.

Cross also knowingly allows a rapist named Anson into the Silver Elite because he's "good at killing people".

Once Wren joins the Silver Elite, she is sent on a mission in her old town, where the Silver Elite is hunting down Uprising operatives.
Two of these Uprising Operatives are Wren's best friend, Tana, and Tana's father, both are Mods and described as "dark skinned" in the book.
They get arrested by the Silver Elite, and while they're being held, Anson, the rapist that Cross allowed into the Silver Elite, attempts to rape Tana. Tana kills him, and Wren pretends she killed him to cover for her friend. Cross doesn't believe her.

Cross tells Wren that her friend and her father are going to be executed, and Wren begs Cross to make a deal. Wren argues that the labor camps would be a mercy compared to execution. Cross agrees, and Wren forces her friend and her father to accept the deal, even after both of them explicitly tell her they don't want to go to the slave labor camps.

This is the opening to the chapter (chapter 42) after Tana is sent to the slave labor camps:

"I’ve barely heard from Tana in two months. It breaks my heart. I want to know how she’s doing. I want to tell her I love her. I can’t even imagine how she’s processing what Anson did to her. Alone. With nobody to talk to about it.
I’ve checked in. She links every now and then, just to tell me she’s okay, but I sense she’s not.
As Elite, I have clearance now, and I’ve checked in with the guards at the salt camp. I can access the camp’s daily logs. I can see when Tana scans into the mine, and when she scans out. They work twelve-hour days out there. I’ve seen photos of the women’s quarters. They look comfortable. Everyone gets leisure time. The food seems decent.
But a gilded cage is still a cage.
And I put her there."

Wren refers to the SLAVE LABOR CAMPS as a GILDED CAGE.

WREN SENT HER BEST FRIEND, A DARK SKINNED WOMAN, TO A SLAVE LABOR CAMP, AND THEN CALLED THE SLAVE LABOR CAMP A GILDED CAGE.

This is made only worse by the fact that in the chapters after Wren sends her supposed best friend to a slave labor camp, she goes on a silly, cutesy date with Cross.
Cross then takes Wren to his childhood home, that Wren likens to a PRISON, and she feels so bad for poor, poor Cross, who had such a hard life because he grew up in a MANSION that is so impersonal and sad with his rich DICTATOR FATHER 🥺🥺. Hasn't he lived such a hard life???
WHILE HER FRIEND IS IN A LABOR CAMP.

You actually can't make this shit up.

The book wants you to feel bad for the disgusting sleezeball that is Cross while Wren's friend that she immediately forgot about is slaving away in a labor camp that Wren sent her to.

Additionally, at the end of the book, all Mods, even ones that had previously betrayed their people to work for the government, are rounded up, tattooed on their wrists and sent to the labor camps after the Uprising attacks the General, leaving him mentally unable to rule.

The book wants to wear the trappings of the dystopian genre, but refuses to engage with the oppressive regime it uses as a backdrop, or discuss the legality, morality, history, or ethics of something like literal Labor Camps because that would get in the way of its "forbidden romance". Yet, it also has no issue sympathizing with the Elites that perpetuate and fill the labor camps. It also seems to want its readers to rationalize that labor camps are more merciful than just killing the Mods.
Why are the options death or labor camps? Wren doesn't idealize a better society, or hope for a world where both Elites and Mods can live in harmony. Instead she is satisfied with the idea that labor camps don't immediately kill the Mods, so it's more merciful than executing them.

And for anyone that liked this book or is still thinking of reading it because of the "spice" or the "romance".

WREN AND CROSS have absolutely no chemistry. Chalkboards and fingernails are a better match. Concrete and my actual face at Mach 10 is a better romance.
They don't talk. One of them walks into the room, remarks how "hot" the other is and then a shitty sex scene commences.
And not to be the smut critic, but it's not even well written smut. Watching paint dry would be a more entertaining hobby than reading Dani Francis' smut.

The plot is boring. It moves at a snail's pace and has nothing new or interesting to add. You can tell while reading that the author did not give a fuck about the world or the plot. Scenes just end when the author got bored of them.
The world does not feel lived in. There is no description. The dialogue is uninspired and stilted.
There is genuinely nothing positive I have to say about any aspect of this book.
All of the plot points are derivative, predictable, and dull. There isn't a single twist that wasn't either pulled out of the author's ass or so stupidly obvious that you couldn't guess it from Chapter 1.


It's not even entertaining. It was so bad that it wasn't even funny anymore. This wasn't even fun to hate read. I only finished because I wanted to write this review, and I don't like writing reviews about books that I don't finish.

I will not be continuing this series. I will not be giving Dani Francis any of my money, and I highly recommend that you do not either.

If you liked this book, please do not come to my town. Do not come to my city. I am HEAVILY judging you.

If you are the mysterious Dani Francis, please stop writing. We don't want your thinly veiled Nazi-sympathizing fanfic.

[Esta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silver Elite is what happens when Divergent, X-Men, and Minority Report get into an anonymous telepathic group chat, except with the spice levels turnt, and it's probably going to be one of the biggest books of the year. Hello debut author Dani Francis where have you been all our lives.

To set the scene, I had just finished Sunrise on the Reaping and was deep in that post-book mourning period, where I expected to DNF five books and fall into a spiral and had accepted that my next read would be The Great Disappointment.

Instead, Silver Elite said, “Get up, loser, we’re going reading.” And I did.

By 15%, I’d already been emotionally compromised, handed an entire sociopolitical structure, and exposed to themes of surveillance, systemic discrimination, a bit of genocide and the ethics of psychic powers.

That brings me to Wren, our FMC. Wren has got a gun 🎵, (sing it to the tune of Janie’s got a gun), a conscience, and one of the most entertaining internal monologues I’ve read in a while.

She’s a witty, sniper-trained telepath who grapples with power, surveillance, and consent in ways that add depth beneath all the action and romantic slow-burn tension. She’s overpowered but she knows it. And she’s wrestling with what that means.

And then there’s Cross. He’s definitely going to take over BookTok by force. Tall, dark, hot and haunted. He was probably mixed in a lab where they blended Four, Xaden, and Rhysand.

Not gonna lie. Silver Elite does have some of your favourite well-used romantasy tropes. But they don’t feel tired. They feel reinvigorated and handled with narrative purpose. There is a whisper of a love triangle, but don’t worry, everything gets resolved fairly cleanly, handled like an adult (thank you) and I actually kinda liked it?

There's also an Orwellian undercurrent, but it never feels derivative.

In the spirit of full transparency, I saw the Big Reveal coming from very early on. In fact, I had it circled in red with arrows. But sometimes, seeing it coming doesn’t dull the impact. Sometimes it makes it better, because the anticipation is half the fun. And in this case, it hit exactly the way it needed to.

Nevertheless, I won’t pretend this book is flawless. It leans hard into its romantasy flair, so if you're after layered dystopian commentary or intricate worldbuilding, this probably won't scratch that itch. The dystopian elements stay pretty surface-level. So if you approach this more as romantasy with dystopian seasoning, rather than a deep dive into systemic collapse and profound dystopian themes, you might just fall for it too. For me, the romantasy lover in me was too busy kicking my feet, hence my rating is definitely a vibes rating, rather than a critical one.

It's chaotic. It’s spicy. There’s a quiet subtlety in the way it exposes the cracks in our world through the lens of another. This book gave me the same high I got from reading the romantasy greats, while still feeling like something new. I devoured this as fast as I could whilst life and adulting got in the way. I will be camping outside Dani Francis's inbox until book two drops.

Thank you so much to Random House Worlds | Del Rey for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re susceptible, please be mindful of content warnings, these are the ones I caught: Dubious consent, murder, death, war, classism, bigotry, systemic discrimination, off-page SA, on-page death penalty, fantasy drugs, mental illness, forced institutionalisation, graphic sexual content


♦️♦️♦️

I’d like this dystopian romantasy with Hunger Games vibes to gently guide me out of my SOTR Haymitch-induced book slump please and thanks.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

and is the dystopia in the room with us right now?

if you’re looking for a book that prides itself in being a dystopian novel, while not interrogating any part of living under a totalitarian regime, it’s propaganda, and systemic violence then welcome!

This book does not care about dissecting anything, with this dystopian society simply a sexy backdrop for our two characters who experience violence on a semi-regular basis (to themselves and to those they care about) but are more than happy to forget all of that when it comes to their forbidden love

so many parts of this just made me feel so gross (see the scene with Tana, what followed, and how quickly it was brushed aside and never touched upon again).

Bookstagram | Blog

[SK · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the most conflicting book I've read in a while. It's overhyped imo, so flawed in so many ways and yet, I couldn't stop reading it. It had a certain entertainment factor to it that kept me going.

To be clear, it's nothing like Fourth Wing. It's more like a poorly written version inspired by the Divergent and Hunger Games series. Also, the dystopia in this was lackluster. Even Shatter Me did it better and that's saying something 😅 The writing although not bland, is so average. It could have been far better. The dialogues are cringe in some places and made me question if it is written by a man 🤷‍♀️

But the banter, and the characters started to grow on me as I got to the second half, which is far better executed than the first half. The story is attention grabbing and so is the romance. The characters are complex with hidden agendas and motives of their own.

Wren, is someone I didn't like. She is an annoying fmc and there's no consistency in her words and actions. She wants to be portrayed as the perfect, sympathetic yet fierce, smart and badass woman. But she is just an impulsive pick me girl who reads as if she was written by a man. Everyone else around her? Way more depth and personality, far more likable.

Cross is someone who carried the story for me. I really liked his toughness on the outside and grump. But he was also predictable. It wasn't hard to figure out his secret which I picked up within the first few chapters.

The romance and chemistry between Cross and Wren is something I found to be quite decent. They do have the spark despite Wren being completely annoying and selfish. I think they compliment and balance each other out well. Cross grounds her and Wren makes him more himself. The build up and spice was pretty nice, don't expect any Xaden- Violet or Lance- Darcy level of spice or angst.

Coming to the side characters- Roe, who despite being a douche but he seems like he has potential. Kaine, who sort of gave me Ridoc vibes. And Xavier, I'm really intrigued about him. I didn't care much for anyone else.

The ending wrapped up pretty nicely and I see potential so will stick around and read the next one 🤷‍♀️ It's a very hit or miss sort of book but a fast paced read for sure.

~•~•~
Haven't heard much good about it but it's on my shelf.

[T.S · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ☆

i'm sorry?! but this was basic 😭 the way y’all hyping this book up like it about to revolutionize dystopian fantasy .“dystopian is soo back” like what?! this was literally just like every other booktok romantasy book with the same used tropes and bunch of popular books put together (fourth wing and Divergent) and we get a shallow dystopian smoothie. we’ve seen this before. nothing new.

not saying i didn’t have fun, i just wasn't impressed.. i mean it not the worst book i’ve ever read. it fun actually if you go in with zero expectations and just for the vibes. hence the 3.5 stars, because the plot kept me going. the writing and world-building was easy to follow, and the life-or-death trials was engaging for me to turn the pages. so what fell flat? the characters and romance.

for me, if i don’t connect with the characters, i’m probably not gonna connect with the book. wren (fmc) and cross (mc). didn’t hate them, but didn’t love them either. the most interesting character here was actually my boy Kaine; he was funny. meanwhile, wren and cross? they were just… there. existing. doing things (doing each other i mean). but not really giving anything for me to blush or swoon over


and then there’s the romance, which had no build-up whatsoever. enemies to lovers?? more like enemies to fuckers 💀 school might be closed this summer but the fmc legs weren't closed.
an

the sexy scenes made me cringe so bad i had to walk outside for some fresh air 😭 literally my face:




i would say it wasn’t even true enemies, because they were attracted and lusting for each other within five pages with zero emotional development.

i’ve said this before, but i will say it again *takes deep breath*— just because they put a dagger to each other’s throat doesn’t make it enemies to lovers!!! 😭

i think everyone’s definition and viewpoint of enemies to lovers is different, because every time this trope is used, i expect them to ACTUALLY hate each other—not just mildly annoy each other for 6 chapters before immediately jumping into bed and going all lovey dovy.

give me betrayal! give me heartbreak! give me actual conflict! not “ugh, i hate you but also your jawline is sharp and i want it near me”😐


and cross?! where is the personality?? he's so bland 😭

nobody:

literally nobody:

wren: omg he so hot! his jaw!

how bro looks like:




i literally don’t remember anything about him besides:

- he has blue eyes
- he has two brothers
-he is the general’s son.

that’s it. 😐 that’s all i remember 😭 (i am not joking yall)
oh! and uhhhhh, my pooki is scared of the ocean😋

so yeah... *big sigh* i was not invested in their romance at all. and some of the plot twists were so OBVIOUS and predictable, istg. like don’t tell me y’all didn’t guess Wolf’s identity like 10 chapters in?! am i the only one?? also, i knew what happened to kaine before the ending, so when it finally happened, i was just like… yeah, that tracks.

overall, this book wasn’t bad, it was just entertaining to read. if you want something easy to read that will give you that fourth wing(no dragons tho) and divergent itch without thinking too hard, this might this works.

*also, some people are saying this was a mixture of the Hunger Games—but I have never read that before, so I have no comment on that.

[Rachel (ravenhairedreader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was INCREDIBLE. 💫💫💫💫💫

[chan ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay... so i have thoughts

but since goodreads insists that you need an actual review in addition to linking out to videos, i guess here goes: this book is not what people have been making it out to be. i was fully expecting to be repulsed by the relationship since many were saying it promotes fascism and that this book generally is a poor representation of dystopian.

now the latter, i can begrudgingly agree with. but the former? eh. bit of a stretch. for reasons that would spoil the book. but what i can say is that the groupthink surrounding this book and some other popular romances recently has been concerning. i mean feel free to be a hater absolutely, but make some fresh points idk.

[౨ৎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️'s. rtc!

yall need to stop praising mediocrity (1/2 a star only for kaine <3)

[Emma Halbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh y’all are going to go FERAL for this one.

Divergent meets Fourth Wing *without the dragons* and the FMC is not a weakling, she’s an absolute badass who has to pretend she’s not so that her enemies don’t suspect her while she’s TRAINING WITH THEM to become one of their Elites. Did I mention her super hot captain is the son of the enemy General?

Literally everything your dystopian heart has been craving since the 2010’s but better bc 🌶️

I cannot wait for everyone to read this and absolutely freak out on May 6th! Definitely the next big sensation, mark my words.

[manas (suffering) · Rating 1 out of 5]

➳ முட்டாள் ☆

i am going to try to be serious for once.

goddamn. i read everyone's most hyped-up release of 2025. this really is the fourth wing of the dystopian fantasy world. while both of these novels are not remotely similar, there is an array of unnecessary plot devices, embarrassing plot armor, horrendous smut, and a stupid cast of characters to top off this mess. i really went into this with expectations from the gods and came out wanting 3 days of my life back.

when i say, i am genuinely trying to write a proper review with what worked and what didn't, i really am. i know i am the biggest troll and hater, which has garnered lots of people to read and like my reviews (i am eternally grateful). i do think sometimes, i need to be serious and actually do my job and seriously tell you why this flopped—for me.

★ ── the characters
brother, what? i am sorry, but what am i missing here? nobody in this novel is special. at all. their characterization and motivations are elementary school level at best and have zero compatible characteristics with each other. every. single. characters. temperament. had me wanting to smash my head into a drywall. one of the issues this book seriously has is the lack of consistency with their characters traits. wren is our main character who has powers she has been forced to conceal for her safety. you read that and you think : ok, typical fantasy/dystopia...fine. however, dani francis, cannot seem to keep her motivations in uniform, and felt like i was reading about a new person in every chapter.

★ ── the romance
i am going to crash the fuck out. this was SO bad. i need authors to stop. legitimately. stop. writing this trope where this very “liberal” woman goes after a very clearly “republican” man who has a history of oppressing people. like, what are we doing here? this is becoming a cheap plot device thrown in for the sake of “tension”, when in reality it is extremely uncomfortable to read about. speaking of the two leads—wren & cross had potential to be lukewarm, yet we got hot wet piss. i felt nothing for these two after the 30% mark and that is saying something. towards the 50-60% range, we get uncouthly displays of behavior from both our leads which turn into them boning every 5 minutes. boring, yawning, sleepy, lazy, what. the. helly.

★ ── the identity of dani francis
part two of : i am going to crash the fuck out. at this point, i do not care who this woman is, if she even is one. this is so clearly done to gather views and attention to entice people and audiences to pick up this book. i have seen the funniest assumptions of who wrote this book all way the from CoHo making a rebrand to fucking J.D Vance??? this whole situation just made me more bored of this book. when someone said it’s AI maga, i died. if your reasoning for writing dystopia is because you want spice, you need a new hobby. i really don't wanna hear about this anymore, as it feels shoved up my ass. bring back authentic book launches. i’m tired.

my favorite part is when it ended. I AM FREE.

* i still hate FW/empyrean series more *

[cherie ^_-★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐
⤷ spoiler-free review!! ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

this book was not as incredible or life-changing as everyone made it out to be. there, i said it 🤷🏻‍♀️ yes, it was super bingeable and addicting, but let’s be real, it was far from revolutionary or groundbreaking.

now, i know what you’re thinking: why the high rating if i wasn’t wowed? well, the answer’s simple: i had fun. the writing and world-building was easy to follow, and the plot kept me intrigued from start to finish. i flew through the chapters and found myself genuinely hooked, which definitely counts for something.

that said, everything else fell flat. i liked wren (FMC), but cross (MMC) had the personality of a stale bread. and don’t even get me started on the romance—enemies-to-lovers WHERE?! they were clearly attracted to each other the moment they met 🙄 to make matters worse, of course he had to make his move on her right after seeing her naked in the showers 🤦🏻‍♀️ from that point on, their relationship was mostly physical, with very little emotional connection. i’m not even kidding when i say wren had more chemistry with kaine (who was easily my favorite character).

as for wolf’s identity? so! damn! predictable! i had it figured out by CHAPTER 2 🥱

then there’s the marketing. i can see why people are comparing this to Divergent, but The Hunger Games??? 🤨 not even close 😭

all that being said, i still highly recommend this book, but i’d suggest going into it expecting an entertaining read, not a mind-blowing one.

shoutout to anh for buddy reading this with me. all the yapping and ranting definitely made the whole experience even better 🫶🏻


pre-read
it’s time to find out what the hype is all about! (my expectations are sky-high.)

impromptu br with my twin anh 💞

[Laken &#x1f4da; · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is not a return to The Hunger Games as an adult—that would require some coherent exploration of the genre it claims. But, y’all don’t wanna hear me, you just wanna dance.

Reasons for the one star:

Wren, our fmc, is a horribly unlikable person.

From the opening scene, we get a taste of Wren’s selfishness, superiority complex, and tendency to self-sabotage. While “escaping” from a one-night fling, she actively leads the guy on while telling everyone else how clingy he is. He is a Command soldier—part of the military oppressing her kind (Mods). She hates and fears Command soldiers, but also seemingly exclusively seeks them out as sexual partners?

I like a little brashness in a dystopian fmc (see: Katniss). However, Wren’s impulsivity is not due to a strong moral compass or sense of justice—she acts selfishly, and everyone around her has to deal with the fallout. She genuinely does not seem to have any forethought about the impact of her actions on others—they are all NPCs to her. We don’t learn much of anything about her supposed best friend, so their friendship isn’t believable. And of course all male characters are introduced by how hot Wren thinks they are instead of by normal physical descriptions.

I’m all for complex, varied, and even unlikable fmcs when it makes sense for the story. But there is no indication that the reader is supposed to be actively rooting against Wren as much as I was. She’s entirely unrelatable—and please, may this friendship never find me.

Cinder blocks and exposed pipes do not a dystopia make.

Silver Elite does the same thing I take issue with in many recent romantasy hits: the potentially interesting dystopian and sci-fi elements are an afterthought. They’re only developed and utilized insofar as is necessary to put the fmc and love interest into tropey scenarios (in the vein of playing Barbies as a kid and trying to make the Barbies kiss). I was truly intrigued by the promise of a dystopian world with an oppressive regime and an fmc with hidden abilities infiltrating the regime’s elite military squad. However, the author was clearly not interested in the political commentary that is inherent to the genre. For example, Wren notes that the Company is a “military machine” but its leader, the General, “has no need for politics or superfluous job titles.” This is just a bunch of handwaving to avoid the inherent politics of the world—partly because I think if the politics were explored at all, it’d be clearer that this is an unintentional villain origin story.

The romance = The Worst Couple You Know.

Wren and the main love interest are just terrible people being insufferable together and making it everyone else’s problem. It’s insta-lust, it’s toxic, it’s shallow. It’s 40 tropes in a book box special edition trench coat. The love interest has zero personality and is all inappropriate comments. (He’s also just really bad at his job?) And because the world building is generic and the stakes are not believable, the “enemies to lovers” is just giving sexual harassment in the workplace. This is copy paste the same romantasy couple we always get (right down to the tattoos and a certain special connection—iykyk).

Silver Elite is set to publish May 6, 2025, and is the first of a planned series.

eARC provided by NetGalley and Del Rey for review.

[Hoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

fifth five stars book of the year and third favorite book of the year too 🤍🤸🏻‍♀️

They were not lying this book is a masterpiece! ✋🏻 The fact that it’s been literally more than 10 hours, and I am still speechless, not knowing what to think or whom to trust.I mean, OMG, what even is that? 😭😭 The last couple of chapters messed with my head in a really weird way, making me question everything! 🧍‍♀️ The writing was so good! The plot was fantastic. I need to get inside the author's mind and see what she has in store for us because I CAN’T CONTINUE MY LIFE WITHOUT ANSWERS!!! I was hooked from the very beginning! I couldn’t even put it down most of the time. I would say I’m going to read one more chapter, and the next thing I know, I finished 10 chapters! How? I have no idea. 🧍‍♀️ It’s the type of book that makes you forget you are reading. Also, the endings of every chapter made me so eager to get to the next one I just couldn’t stop! If my life weren’t so busy, I would have finished it in a day, because honestly, this is so freaking good, and I just don’t know what to do with my life right now! 😭😭😭

I loved the characters Wren and Cross; they are SO HOT! I was obsessed with them from their first interaction, and OMG, their banter had me SCREAMING! The guy would only open his mouth to smile a small smile, and it made me feel so breathless! Please, I adored him. I felt a bit annoyed as their relationship seemed only physical at the beginning, but then the whole **if you know, you know** situation happened, and it was SO CUTEEE! 🥹🥹🥹 How he was so down bad for her! How he did everything to protect her, collecting and cleaning up her mess! Begging her for everything! Please, I need him. He is just so hot! 🤍

I love Wren too! Yes, she was reckless at times, but OMG, she is so smart! And, hehe I rarely find this kind of fmc character in fantasy books, so it was so refreshing! The way she played everyone for so long, stood her ground, and never cowarded or felt weak around anyone iconic! 😮‍💨 I loved her struggles because, besties, I was struggling with her too! The fact that she was always like,“the lines are blurring”and sometimes got confused about who she was working with is SO REAL. I felt the same way I didn’t know where to stand or whom to trust, and I still don’t know. I think it’s brilliant of the author to make us feel this way and question everything until the very end of the book

It’s just sooo good and I definitely definitely recommend!! I should’ve known better than to question clace & iqra this honestly was a masterpiece!! Shout out to them for making hyping me up to read this and for having iconic taste thank u thank u thank uuu😌😌

[Bailee Latham · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I heard dystopian romance and immediately knew I wanted to read this. This was entertaining! Some of the twists caught me off guard and I really liked the action parts!

As for the romance, this is marketed as a slow burn and I’d have to disagree (but that’s just my opinion). It was more insta-attraction but there WAS tension! I wasn’t really invested in the romance until the end. The ending felt rushed and some of the reasons for the plot twists felt random to me.

But overall, I’d recommend it and it kept me turning pages!

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 1 out of 5]

okay, another long preface before i talk about this book, because i promise you that i went into this hoping i’d love it alongside so many readers! i love reading hyped books, especially ones that can evoke nostalgia for the books i grew up reading, and i extra love loving these stories alongside the book community. (example: fourth wing!) i also think that people are being extra weird with romantasy readers and reviewers in 2025, acting like it is somehow “lesser” reading, and i never want people to think that is something i believe - because i very much do not! and lastly, i truly went into this with the best expectations at heart, reading it alongside a few of my very best friends, hoping that we all would love it as much as so many other prereviewers had! But sadly, this really and truly is the worst book i’ve read all year.

also, one very quick side note: with all the white dystopian comparisons going around - the concept also reminded me of the gods below (the hollow covenant, #1) by andrea stewart! which i really loved last year and highly recommend if this story didn’t work for you, but you like the world and the set up!)

the very basic premise of silver elite is that this is a dystopian future of what i believe used to be earth, and many years ago a biotoxin killed most of the population, yet two different groups of people survived. the primes, who were just immune to the biotoxin. and then the modified, who were enhanced by the biotoxin and now have telepathic mind powers that very much differ in range and intensity. and our main character, wren, was given to a man to keep her safe when she was only five years old, because her parents could already tell that her powers were so strong, and because the primes want to control or kill all the modified people. also in this world, people who have these mind abilities normally show when they are using them by their veins appearing silver, but our main character is so powerful this doesn’t happen to her. therefore, after some very traumatic events, she is forced to leave her world of hiding and join a training center to maybe graduate and become a silver elite for the very empire who has ruined her life in every capacity.

the truth of my hating this book is that wren is too stupid to actually live. i understand she is twenty, i understand people are just attracted to other people sometimes without rhyme or reason, and i understand that humans are allowed to make mistakes. but the amount of mistakes she made… i mean, i am hard pressed to think of a good choice she made the entire book. from trusting the people you have known for your entire existence want you dead, and who constantly show you they want your people dead. to constantly flip flopping and ultimately betraying your own people because you have a romance with someone who isn’t “as bad” as the rest of the people who want your kind dead. to not communicating well with any side and having it hurt your “friends” constantly. wren is truly the most insufferable character i’ve read in years.

please use caution while reading this paragraph - i will be talking about a side character with spoilers for this book! also tw/cw for talk of sa in this paragraph! there are obviously a lot of things that i did not like about this book but the thing that just made me feel really disgusted was how the character tana was treated. to have your character who is described to have “dark skin” be raped and then sent to a labor camp with her father, while having us believe that this is the best outcome the mc can do for her best friend… is beyond words disgusting. and then to have it never really brought up again, and to have the mc still trusting people who are complacent in a system that allowed this to happen to her best friend? i just can’t. i’m not saying she won’t save her friend in later books (i think this is somehow going to be a six book series), i’m not saying this wasn’t described as horrific while happening (it for sure was), but it ultimately was the reason i hated wren and the reason this book received a one star from me.

more spoilers for wren being just the most insufferable! (but i am going to try to be a little vague!) her scar and doing what she did for no good reason other than insulting every person in her past that tried to keep her safe. her trusting that person at the academy with her, who we are constantly being told can’t keep a secret to themselves. her not telling anyone at the end who was with her and helping her - someone has to tell me what happens to them in book two lol.

who the author is is a big point of contention for people discussing this book, and i have nothing to add really. I don’t care who wrote this, and if i were them i would also stay anonymous. beyond my frustration with wren and being forced to read from her pov, this book is just not well written. The things that happen to progress what lack of plot we have are just outlandish. we get from point a to point b by just teleporting between the points lol. like, no build up whatsoever, just that this is what is happening now and we are forced to accept it. this book has potential in some aspects, like with the telepathy friend wren has had since she was five, but it is just so horribly and obviously done that my eyes were truly about to roll out of my head. and for the romance to have no chemistry? insanity.

this book also feels like is is being written for “both sides” like one side isn’t killing, enslaving, and doing human experimentation on the other. in the year 2025? yuck. also, weird discussion around mental health in this? in my opinion, the vilification of mental health in this? and actually using schizophrenia as cover up word? i don’t know who dani francis is, but apparently they weren’t given sensitivity readers.

okay okay, i have already given this book 500+ pages of my time, and now i have written way more than i intended to write here, but i just hated this. the only thing i liked about this story was the character kaine. ultimately, i believe if you are attempting to write a dystopian novel (at least one that i will enjoy) you need to take some responsibility and actively be discussing the oppression at hand and also the corrupt systems of violence who are perpetually enacting the injustice you are writing about. especially in 2025.

trigger + content warnings: loss of loved ones/family, grief, war, genocide, battle, violence, medical experimentation, slavery, labor camps, death, murder, torture, gun violence, forced invasion of ones mind with mind power, the use of the word cancer as a metaphor, one sentence mention of cancer in past, anxiety, predatory advances, forced suicide (mind powers), talk of insomnia, bombings, drugs, alcohol, vomit, sa / rape (not mc, not on page, but the right after the crime), weird conversations about mental health / schizophrenia and punishment (in a negative light, always, but is is still weird to read, imo)

blog | instagram | youtube | wishlist | spotify | amazon

♡ buddy read with amy + penny

[naz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay. What to say, what to say other than this book was one of the best dystopian reads I’ve had in a LONG time 😭🔥 Dare I say… it’s officially my top read of 2025?! I loved everything about it: the characters, the plot, the pacing, and obviously the dystopian vibes. I lost sleep over this book and regret NOTHING 💅

The dystopian and the romance solidified it for me. We’re in a world where humans are split in two: Primes and Modified. The Mods, whose veins literally turn silver, are considered lesser hunted down, killed, or sentenced to a lifetime in labor camps. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a full-on war brewing between the two… and our girl? She’s a Mod. Which means: she’s hiding who she really is 👀 !!!!

And the best part?? She’s a BADDIE. FINALLY, no “I must learn to be strong” FMC. Wren Darlington is already lethal 🔪🔪🔪 her survival and interrogation skills are so on point, she actually has to tone it down. We need more characters like her, period. She’s cunning, fierce, and absolutely magnetic. AHHHH I LOVED HER 😭👏 tbh the characters all of them specially the side characters made this book even more interesting (made me think of hunger games and how we know the characters from other districts)

Wren’s journey had me glued to every page. Watching her play the part of an “ordinary Prime” while hiding the truth about who she is? AMAZING. The stakes?? Perfection. It gives "trust NO ONE" vibes and i loved every second of it.

And don’t even get me started on Cross 😮‍💨 The man is the captain of the unit Wren is training to get a spot for. Their banter?? Their slow-burn attraction?? Their everything?? It was hot, it was intense, it was delicious 😩🔥

Why 5 stars? Because there wasn’t one part of this book that dragged. Not one scene I’d cut. Every single moment mattered and kept me begging for more. If you love a well-built dystopian world, a badass FMC, and a romance with heat substance, PLEASE pick this up.

I seriously can't believe is over and we were left how we were, I need MORE.

tropes
🤍 dystopian
🤍 captain x recruit
🤍 forced proximity
🤍 secret identity
🤍 betrayals, lies and more

Thank you Del Rey Books for my eARC in exchange for my review



⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅I just got invited to read this and the way I heard such amazing things and that I might not sleep tonight until I finish I AM SO EXCITED

releases May 6 so you know I WILL START ASAP.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silver Elite is a dystopian romance that ends on a cliffhanger and is an absolute page turner.

Now, is this the absolute best written book ever? No. It has its faults. But was it unputdownable, bingeable and addictive? ABSOLUTELY. I finished this book so fast, I was Lightning McQueen up in here.

If you’re looking for a read for the vibes, is a dystopian romance, and you won’t be able to put down, this one is it.

(Thank you to Leo PR for an early copy of Silver Elite, I read this as an arc in February).

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

HOLLY HELLFUCK, this was a damn good time!

I really did enjoy this read. I am a Divergent girly through and through and I definitely agree that if you loved Divergent, you will enjoy this.

I had similar feelings reading this to when I was reading Fourth Wing for the first time! The "this is good, I can't stop" feeling and I am pumped to see where this series goes next!

I am seeing a lot of comparisons to The Hunger Games and I will say, I don't think this is ANYTHING like Hunger Games, nor is this FMC anything like Katniss (and that's actually a compliment) 😂

Go into this blind! It's a damn good Dystopian time.

Was this predictable? Very much so. And there were a few cringy spicy scenes but all in all I had a good time reading it!

"To the women who kick ass in this world. This is for every battle you've fought and every barrier you've shattered."

"Holly hellfuck." NOW MY FAVORITE TERM.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ *]

dnf @ 1%

if you aren’t going to attempt to have any type of social commentary or even try to be dystopian just a bit then you don’t get to compare yourself to the hunger games. the reason why the hunger games was so good and people loved it is because it had something to say, that’s why people keep going back. this is just for the girls that want sucking and fcking and that’s fine but don’t try to trick me into reading it by comparing it to the greats! it would be better off compare to fourth wing tbh

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 4 out of 5]

four stars purley on vibes! guys i had so much fun reading this. it was bingeable, fairly fast paced and addictive. was this PERFECT? no. was this a super well written book? also no. but i had a silly fun time and i can absolutely see why people are loving this so much. it's definitely giving me divergent vibes but i would have liked to have had more focus/information on the politics and world building side of things. honestly i don't think that was the intention of this book and so i can appreciate it for what it is, which is a dystopian/military romance with plenty of tension, banter and plot twists.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

rtc

———

ya girl got the arc 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️ the fomo got me..

Penguin Radnom House Australia you're the best!!

[ana (ananascanread) · Rating 1 out of 5]

the real dystopia… was me. reading this book.

i read the good reviews. i read the bad reviews. i saw the author went anonymous, honestly? slay. protect your peace.
but me? i was in the trenches. i was fighting for my life.
reading this felt like being trapped in a CW pilot that got canceled halfway through filming.

the plot? confusing, but not in a fun, breadcrumb-mystery kind of way, more like “wait, did i black out and skip a chapter?”
the pacing? couldn’t tell you. it started, it stopped, it jittered like bad wi-fi.
the romance? powered by zero chemistry and one shared brain cell running on 5% battery.

i have no idea who wren is. i don’t think wren knows either. she bounced between rebel queen and stockholm syndrome speedrun with no explanation.
and cross? sir. please. this is a wendy’s. bro brooded so hard he forgot to have a personality.

people are out here comparing this to the hunger games, and i need a full TED talk with visual aids to understand that.
it’s more like divergent if divergent gave up halfway through and went, “eh. vibes.”

look, whether this was written by a person or an AI trained on wattpad and redbull, i’m sure someone meant well.
but every chapter had me whispering “surely it can’t get worse,” and every time? it said “bet.”

this book owes me financial compensation, a handwritten apology, and a fruit basket.

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

✩ 3.5 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Forbidden Love
➼ Enemies-to-Lovers
➼ Officer x Recruit
➼ Morally Gray Characters
➼ Strong FMC x Alpha Hero
➼ Forbidden Powers
➼ Psychic Abilities
➼ Hidden Identities
➼ Military Academy l
➼ Dystopian Romance
➼ Narrated by Amanda Dolan
➼ First Person Single POV

If your algorithm is showing you bookish content, you’ve likely seen this book all over the internet. For weeks I saw nothing but glowing reviews and then the super sleuths determined that Dani Francis likely wasn’t named Dani Francis at all and my feed was full of conjecture about who they might be. I honestly couldn’t care less who the author is, but it has been kind of fun to guess. More recently the publisher has shared that the author is Canadian and a New York Times best seller which does narrow things down a little. I honestly thinks it’s kind of odd that they’re giving hints at all. At the end of the day, I really don’t need to know, but it seems many people don’t share this sentiment. 🤷🏼‍♀️

About a week before the book was released, I started seeing lots of criticisms and complaints about this book being listed as dystopian when many people felt it did not meet the criteria of the genre. Now that I’ve read it, I have to say that I don’t agree, but I do think the world building and political landscape could (and likely should) have been more developed. I don’t know that I agree that any fictional book dystopian or not has a duty to talk about oppression, but I do think the pacing of the romance may have been a little off in this one. I think if this would have been a true slow burn and the characters would have waited to act on their feelings until the circumstances between them had changed, this might have trended more positively with readers.

Drama aside, this was a highly entertaining read but it held very few surprises. I knew who Wolf would be from his first mention and that knowledge did inform my reading experience which perhaps wasn’t the case for everyone? There is somewhat of a captor x captive relationship between the two MC’s which didn’t sit well with a lot of people. There are layers to their circumstances and she is not exactly in a cell, but she’s also not given any other options.

Personally, the only thing that really made me uncomfortable about their situation was how quickly and easily she fell for Cross. Even if she wasn’t technically part of the resistance initially, Cross’s people are still clearly her enemy because of their desire to eradicate powered people like her plus what they have done to the people closest to her. I couldn’t help but feel like the FMC lacked integrity as I read. It was hard for me to see her as a “strong FMC” when she seemed to forget who her enemies were so easily. It would make sense for the lines to blur as she got to know them as people, but her behaviors went beyond that. She is training to join the most elite forces who oppose powered people and it didn’t seem like she gave much thought to what she might have to do to maintain her cover and stay alive.

Up until the last 15-30%, I likely would have given this 4 stars, but there were a few reckless decisions the FMC made at the end that further lowered my opinion of her. Most of the events at the end of the book could have been easily avoided if she would had simply applied common sense to her decision making process. This was marketed as being like The Hunger Games for adults, but there were only about 2 pages of the book that really reminded me of The Hunger Games. If I had to compare this to one series, it would be the Shatter Me series. Some of the similarities would be spoilers so I won’t list them here, but the format of the story, the character reveals, and many other key elements were eerily similar. I’m surprised I haven’t seems anyone else make this connection, but perhaps others have and I just haven’t seen those reviews.

If asked point blank if I think this was overhyped, my answer would have to be yes, but I do think it’s worth the read! I will definitely be reading book two and I’m excited to see what the author will incorporate into the next book after receiving so much feedback from readers both positive and negative. With proper development, I think this series could be really phenomenal. We’ll just have to wait and see…

Thank you to the author, Hambright PR, and Del Rey for the signed copy! #gifted Such a fun surprise to find in the mail! 🤗

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: So much controversy surrounding this one!

Does anyone have any theories they want to share about who the author is? 👀 The publisher indicated that it was a well known author.

I’ve heard the author uses the word “keen” in the book a lot so I’m thinking maybe an Aussie/Brit? I’ve also heard they use it incorrectly though… so maybe not. 😆

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

Connect with me on Instagram

[Bookishrealm · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know that there has been a lot of buzz surrounding this book (both good and bad), but I went in with an open mind and had a horrible time.

Dystopian as a genre is meant to explore and reflect the anxiety and/or fear that humans have about real world issues. In my opinion, Silver Elite did none of those things. It is a novel that utilizes a post-apocalyptic world as a back drop for a romance that is, at best, cringey. The world building is not only lacking, but is also non-sensical and we follow a main character that can't help but to reflect on the attractiveness of every man she comes into contact with. Dani Francis (whoever this author may truly be) initially develops Wren into this character that is against the oppressive government, but quickly throws those traits away for a "there's good people on both sides" narrative. Readers can't even root for the uprising because Francis does her hardest to make them unlikeable and as horrible as those who are in power. The plot is stifled about three quarters of the way through the novel and is pushed forward by having Wren make a decision she was adamantly against 30-40 pages prior. Changing your character behavior drastically to move forward a plot point is an author faux pas and is also an indication that this book was not well thought out. The romance between Wren and Cross was predictable and easy to spot and even with the so called "twists," I wasn't amused. Their bond wasn't believable and I feel like Francis utilized him to make it easier to justify Wren's desire to stay with her "fellow soldiers." Like so many have said before, this book is proof that publishing can make any book popular when they so desire. This book has a plethora of issues that should have been caught during editing. It leads me to believe that publishing feels that they can put out anything and everything as long as they use the correct buzzwords and target that right group of readers. Using Spanish to name an area of the world and then describing it as the place where hard drugs are sold and smuggled into the country is a weird move. It is a HUGE red flag for me considering that narrative is so casually thrown around in the US to characterize Spanish speaking countries close to our borders. It made me question everything about the intentions of this book and the author. I'm not here to judge others for their reading interests, but I am here to point out the issues that I take with this book and the way in which it was marketed. Overall, this was a disappointing and jarring read and it won't be a series that I plan to continue in the future.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel caught my attention right away with its dystopian setting where deception determines survival and trust comes at a high cost. Wren Darlington stands out as a compelling protagonist, not just because of her psychic abilities, but through her resilience and inner strength as she navigates the dangerous training facility of Silver Block while concealing secrets that could prove fatal.

The book creates genuine tension through its well-crafted world, showing the divisions between Mods and Primes, rebels and authorities, controllers and survivors. The combination of dystopian elements with an academy setting creates an engaging blend of strategy, competition, and constant risk that kept me reading.

The romance develops at a measured pace with meaningful tension. Cross Redden is an intriguing counterpart to Wren—observant, mysterious, and creating a dynamic filled with sharp dialogue and chemistry. Their relationship isn't simply about attraction but about navigating opposing forces that might destroy them before they can acknowledge their feelings.

What elevates the story is how it balances surprising plot developments with emotional depth. Wren's journey explores questions of freedom and risk—considerations that extend beyond herself to a potentially better future. The secondary characters have depth, the betrayals feel significant, and the ending is powerfully affecting.

This book revitalized my interest in dystopian fiction by incorporating many elements I appreciate about the genre: resistance, secrets, danger, and a compelling romance. Based on this first book, the series shows great promise. Readers who enjoy complex protagonists, sustained tension, and surprising developments should consider this book. I'm eagerly anticipating the sequel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Worlds | Del Rey for providing a digital review copy of this romantic fantasy.

medium.com
instagram
facebook
twitter

[Uswah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️ 3.35/5
Quick Summary: Good, not bad... but not great. A total palate cleanser kind of read. 😭

Okay, let’s be real — this isn’t the kind of book I’m gonna scream about and beg you to read ASAP. In fact, even if you don’t read it, trust me, you’re not missing much. 😭

🧃 The Good (Start)
The beginning was actually really interesting! It pulled me in fast. Lowkey kinda ate. I was like okayyyy 👀 we’re doing something here. Had me interested, ngl.

💤 The Meh (Middle)
The middle dragged. It felt slow and a bit boring 🥱 despite the cool scenes. Pacing could’ve used a boost. Some parts were cool (missions, tests, all that military drama), but overall… I was fighting for my life to stay focused 😭
Also, one of the “big” twists? I clocked it 100 pages ago. Be serious 😭

👀 The Cliffhanger (End)
Now this part woke me up. That plot twist?? I was like oh–wait a minute 👁️👄👁️ didn’t see that coming. Cliffhanger left me with questions so yeah, I’ll be reading the next book. Manifesting it slays harder. 🤞

Characters
🧍‍♀️ Wren
She’s THAT girl. Brave, skilled, lowkey a baddie. I was rooting for her fr. But like… a couple scenes?? Made no sense at all. I had to turn off my brain and let it happen 💀

😮‍💨 Cross
Best MMC ever? Nah.
Hot? Absolutely. 🙂‍↕️ I’ll allow it.

Final Thoughts
Not a must-read, but not a waste of time either. A decent read that scratched my military-romance-action itch. Nothing life-changing.

🖤 That’s all. Love y’all.

—————————————
Pre-Read

Sounds interesting 👀🖤🖤
A woman with psychic abilities? Count me in 🙂‍↕️