Not sure loved is a strong enough word for this.

I was hooked right from the very start, the pacing is perfect, the characters are well written, and every time I thought I had everything worked out, another plot twist sent me spiralling, and the ending had me sat staring at the wall for a solid ten minutes. I cannot recommend this book enough! I was utterly obsessed with Cross from the moment he stepped onto the page. And I am begging for a sequel asap please!

I've seen so much hype for this book and the ratings are high but it didn't have the wow factor for me, which sadly seems to be the trend for my most anticipated reads this year! The magic system was really interesting and the idea behind the plot had a lot of potential. It was also great to see Wren making friends and bridging this gap she's had between Mods and Primes - even if she's hiding who she is. I liked the side characters, particularly those who Wren befriended amongst the candidates. Cross was intriguing and I think it would have been good to know more about him and his motivations. The romance between him and Wren didn't hit right for me. I could completely see what the author was attempting here, with but it wasn't executed right for me. I didn't really feel their connection and the chemistry wasn't quite there, which meant the confident and forbidden mmc thing fell flat for me. I also found the book to be really long with not much progress being made in the plot for the majority of the story. My biggest bug bear were the illogical and out of character decisions and plot points that the author wove into the book. For Wren's character, in particular, who is far to savvy to be making such obvious mistakes. It left me incredibly frustrated and disappointed.

So, overall, there were a few strengths in this book but the pitfalls really overshadowed them and I can't see myself continuing with the series.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

4.5⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Okay this book reminded me of how I felt the first time I read Divergent. Excited, Heart Pounding, Wanting More, and still reeling from the plot twists. That’s exactly how it felt with this book!!

This was such a good dystopian fantasy book!! It’s really brought back the genre in all its glory!!

We have an FMC who goes through something heartbreaking in the beginning and has to start a new sort of life dealing with her ‘enemies’. Wren was such a ‘don’t take nonsense go getter’ girl from the start! I loved her character even though she may not have made the brightest decisions but with everything she was dealing with, she fought throughout for what she believed was right. The author made her such a badass FMC which was very appealing to the plot especially when you get to see the extent of her powers and the skills she has!

And then we have Cross Redden!!! Y’all this man!!! This man was everything and more! He was the grumpy, stoic yet devastatingly handsome commanding officer which had a soft side for those he really really held close and loved! The tension between him and Wren was so thick that I’m surprised no one else noticed but us ofc🤭. Like that man was obsessed with her from the beginning, in more ways than one👀.

There was a lot of relationship dynamics that we experienced during this book. A lot of complicated ones where you don’t know if you love them or hate them just as bad!

And the plot twists!!! The plot twists kept plot twisting at 80% of the book!! Like I had to drop my kindle at one point because the plot twist literally slapped you in the face but in a good way!! I loved the use of psychic abilities used in this, and the plot is solid that it makes you just want to know what the outcome will be!! It makes you want to pick a side but personally, I started going back and forth of which side truly is the real villain in this story😭😭!

I have so much to say but I fear if I delve deeper I might spoil for future readers!! But anyway everyone needs to read this book!! It’s going to be so fun debating which side everyone is on as the story expands!!

Big thanks to DelyreyUK & Dani Francis for the arc!! I really enjoyed this book.☺️☺️

It's been a while since I dove into a dystopian novel, but Silver Elite absolutely blew me away—I was hooked from the very first page and completely obsessed!

I couldn’t get enough of the angst, the sharp banter, and the complex web of relationships and politics woven throughout the story. Watching the characters clash and connect—whether as allies or enemies—was incredibly entertaining. So many moments had me on the edge of my seat, and I found myself constantly thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it.

While some parts of the romance and one of the twists were a bit predictable, it didn’t take away from the experience at all. The tension was still very real, and I felt every bit of it.

The setting was another standout for me—the mix of military training and political intrigue created such a vivid and compelling backdrop. I’m so excited to see where the story goes next!

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this eARC to review.

What a story! Think hunger games meets divergent level of politics, but with a slow burn, enemies to lovers plot. Chef’s kiss.

There were so many layers to this story: the story of Wren and her identity as a Modified, Silverblood telepath; the history of the war between the Mods and the Primes; the politics; friendships; military world building; relationships. I live for a well-written dystopian fiction, and Silver Elite is just that. The plot was super easy to follow, and any twists and turns I genuinely didn’t see coming!

I thoroughly enjoyed Wren’s story and found her character so relatable. Sarcastic, quick-witted, loyal, driven and stubborn. I also loved the character of Cross. Their interactions throughout were written beautifully, so much so that I’d even argue there’s a bit of fated mates coming through here. The slow burn was enough to drive you crazy, but when it was burning it was HOT.

I cannot wait for more people to read about Wren, Cross, Kaine, Lyddie and Ford. I cannot wait to have someone to gush over this book with! And god help me waiting for a sequel! Quite possibly the best dystopian release of the year!

Dystopian fantasy fiction to revel in. This one is definitely for adults. I was reminded of so many good books in this genre as I read. This is a good one too. Hidden powers, twists to thrill and shock, physical attraction and romance, an evil regime to subjugate or to overthrow. There is one big twist that I saw coming, but it was interesting to see when and how it would be revealed. Two more books to come, so you can imagine there is a cliff hanger ending. I look forward to reading them, hopefully in the bear future. Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded to 4

After an initially very shaky start where I genuinely considered not continuing the book, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself pretty hooked on the story by chapter four. The dystopian setting does feel like an amalgamation of so many others that have come before it (it kinda feels like District 13 took over Panem, or Erudite are in control in Divergent, with added magical powers), and FMC Wren is at times unlikeable and frustrating, as well as being "super special and gifted" BUT the story was compelling and felt high stakes enough to keep me interested. While the romance was incredibly predictable, it was still fun to read - although I could have done with a little less lusting after each other and a bit more character development. The falling for each other felt a bit too fast, even after certain things come to light. and I predicted pretty much every twist! All in all, an entertaining popcorn read of a book and perfect if you read The Hunger Games and wanted it to focus more on the romance instead of the rebellion. Will I pick up the sequel? I won't rush to read it, but probably!

I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and honestly review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Silver Elite was a great read! I really enjoyed this dystopian world I was thrown into; the world building is honestly effortless. It never felt like it was info-dumping, and while in the first few chapters I felt a little lost, I quickly caught up.

It was maybe a bit spicy for my own liking, but I think a lot of people will really vibe with this! The plot was fantastic, fast paced, and the last 20% was so stressful that I binged through them in a single evening! This was addictive and I look forward to the sequel.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you like dystopia and romance, welcome to your new bookish addiction!

In a nutshell, Silver Elite was amazing. I knew from the first page that I was going to love it. The dystopian setting, the characters, the friendships, the romance - the mix was perfect. On top of that, Wren was a particularly badass main gal, and Cross was a particularly hot main man. The slow burn was delectable, and their chemistry was electric. And as for the subterfuge and politics, it kept me guessing until the very end, then blindsided me with some fabulous twists. It's altogether one of the most addictive and exciting books I've read this year. The only downside is the book hangover it left in its wake and the wait ahead for book 2!

Omg! This was everything I needed and more! The romance, the worldbuilding, the tension - so good. A great reading experience and sure to become your new obsession!

I was so buying into the hype for this one, and was super excited to read it. First try, DNF at 10%. Tried again 2 more times, got to 50% but this is still a DNF for me.

This book is just not for me, no matter how much I want (very much) it to be.

Thank you for my e-ARC.

I have mixed feelings on this. I adored the story, the plot, the concept and the worldbuilding, however the main character continually made aggravating decisions.

I am loving the dysopian rise just now, and the concept of one half of society modified by a genetic virus and the other half not, and the half that isn't (the primes) considering themselves superior and wushing to remove the modified half (mods).

Wren is a mod, and due to some catestrophic mistakes ends up working for the primes having to hide who she is.

I loved the world building and the politics and the constant survellience and how the world got to where it is, its so well thought out and planned and written into the story i was sucked right in,

But on the subject of Wren. I love a character who has some flaws and isnt just instantly amazing at everything. Espieically if they are overpowered, they need a flaw. But Wren completely acknowledges her flaw, then never works on it. And causes all the main action at the end of the book to happen out of sheer stupidity. I do not see how she forsaw it ending any other way. It was really difficult to read through.

That being said I can see this book being incredibly popular and having a huge following as it probably won't annoy most people.

The romance will 100% be very popular, its something straight off the pages of booktok and i can see people fawning for cross immediately. I did enjoy the romance aspect and felt their relationship did grow somewhat organically so i appreciated that.

Plot wise it is mostly predictable, there is one plot line i guessed immediately but that means it at least makes sense, and i will say the ending left me on an absolute cliffhanger and I need the next book immediately. Overall a good vook and I can see the majority of people absolutely loving it

Many thanks to Cornerstone Press, Random House UK, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Silver Elite is the start of a new dystopian fantasy trilogy by Dani Francis with tropes such as:
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity
Forbidden love
Military training
Dystopian
Magic system
Secret identity
Rebellon/uprising

The vibe of the book is that of Divergent and The Hunger Games targeted at an adult audience.

I found this enjoyable with intriguing world building that did not feel like exposition dump and hopefully we learn more about the history and expanded world in the next books.

The story kept me engaged throughout and was easy to follow although some of the plot twists were fairly predictable, especially with how predominantly or not secondary characters are featured.

The main character, Wren, is easy to relate to and likeable even though she does make a few questionable decisions in the third act that seem out of character.

My minor gripe is the romance. It felt unnecessary the number of times that the love interest was described as attractive. The romance is insta-lust when I prefer a slow burn. Wren’s reluctance to become involved with the MMC because he’s her enemy and commanding officer becomes glossed over quickly and her inner conflict about her feelings for him seems to happen off the page.

I had heard lots of hype for this book before I started so I did have high expectations going in. It was an easy read and I am interested to see where the story goes but I did not have the obsessive cannot-put-it-down experience that I have seen other readers express.

Ok, add me to the list of people gushing about Silver Elite by Dani Francis. Amidst the dumpster bonfire of a world that we are currently living in, the last thing I thought I needed was a dystopian story and so didn’t rush into reading this! Big mistake! Huge mistake! Silver Elite blew my socks off! And like pretty much everyone else who has reviewed this book - I NEED book 2 now!

Dani Francis has arrived with an explosion, Silver Elite delivers a perfect balance of Dystopia and Romantasy that I haven’t seen since Divergent and The Hunger Games! From the start this books throws you in at the deep end, introducing Wren Darlington, a ‘Mod’ - an individual who possesses one or more psychic powers. Wren has spent her whole life hiding her psychic gifts, amidst a post apocalyptic world where Primes (who do not possess psychic powers,) ruled by General Redden fear Mods and to be found possessing such gifts is punishable by incarceration or more likely death.

Wren’s parents are dead - not a surprise, orphan trope is a good touch. Wren has been brought up, trained and helped by her Uncle Jim and whilst unhappy with the regime, has a relatively good life until one mistake focuses the regime’s lens on her and she finds herself forcibly conscripted into training for the military Silver Elite force.

And this is where it gets really interesting- can Wren continue to keep her secrets hidden? Will she survive training? And what does this mean for the resistance - the Mod Uprising? And of course how is she going to deal with her damnably attractive senior commander - Cross Redden, who simultaneously repulses and attracts her?

There’s no question, I was hooked after the first few pages. As you can tell I really loved the protagonist Wren - She’s not perfect t, she makes mistakes and can be a bit cocky but, she’s got a lot going on and you can’t help but admire her backbone of steel!

I loved the world building, it wasn’t a huge info dump but, an ongoing education and development throughout the book. At no point did I ever have a huh? or ugh! moment - it was so damn seamless, and it was easy to pick up on events and past history to gain a greater depth of understanding.

I was also impressed by the attention paid to other key and side characters. The male protagonist Cross is multi-faceted, not just designed to be a love-interest for Wren. He has a back-story, q family dynamic and their interactions were truly smoking hot! And Francis doesn’t stop there, Wren’s cohort in training and beyond are all unique characters, each with their own perspectives and voice, which truly complimented the found family trope that was utilised amidst the academy setting.

I devoured this book within 24 hours and totally recommend it if you’ve ever loved anything dystopian, are looking for a story that takes no prisoners and will have you plunging through multiple twists and turns that will totally blow you away!

One book I will never pass on? A dystopian—especially with some romance!! What can I say? I was raised in the era of 'The Hunger Games', 'Shatter Me', 'Divergent' … and nothing gives me more joy than a militaristic dystopian future with a heroine destined to bring down the corrupt regime. So, it was with great enthusiasm that I threw myself into 'Silver Elite'! A blend of 'The Darkest Minds' by Alexandra Bracken and 'Divergent' by Veronica Roth, I think a lot of people will love this. Think military academy, telepathy, and a dark, brooding commanding officer… really, what more could you want?

Whilst this was an entertaining read, I did have a few hang-ups. I would have loved more world-building—perhaps a bit more grit? Some of the character development felt a little sparse at times, and personally, I found the main protagonist a touch insufferable. So while I was intrigued, this isn’t a new favourite (a tad disappointing, I must admit). That said, I do plan to continue the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing where Francis takes it. As a debut novel, I can definitely see the author’s potential, and I really do think this will be loved by many readers!

I do love a dystopian novel and this one had many things I liked about it. The storyline is strong and although she makes some doubtful decisions I did connect with the main character. I did feel however that some of the rest of the cast needed to be fleshed out a bit, perhaps in the next novel ?

This review is for Silver Elite by Dani Francis which releases in the UK on the 6th May! Thanks so much to Netgalley and Del Ray for giving me an eArc copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I heard someone describe this as all of the dystopian books of our teenage years having a baby… and tbh this fits it perfectly!! This is a debut from Dani, but oh my god they hit it out of the park. I couldn’t put it down!

The story focuses on Wren, a young woman who must conceal her psychic powers-and her attraction to her handsome, infuriating commanding officer-as she works undercover to take down a brutal government from within.

The writing was incredible and the pace of the story keeps you in your toes the whole time. There’s a couple of predictable twists though the book, but there’s some that took me off guard and I didn’t expect them at all. The world building was also really good, it felt well developed and was easy to follow along and understand.

The romance and tension in this book was *chefs kiss* - I loved the banter between Wren and Cross, and of course its ’enemies to lovers’ so I was instantly in love. Wren is super stubborn and confident which I loved and it was great to see a female MC with a backbone, even if it does sometimes backfire on them. Cross was also easy to fall for, even though you don’t see them as much as I would have loved to.

Overall, I loved this book and I cannot wait to read the next one in the series. It left the story on such a great point, I was instantly hoping for more. I would say if you enjoyed the trifecta of dystopian novels as a teenager (Red Queen, Divergent and Hunger Games) then you will absolutely eat this up.

I really enjoyed all of the characters in this story, and the twists and turns that follow them. I absolutely can’t wait to see what happens next, especially considering she betrayed her best friend and sent her to a mine, her new friend betrayed her to roe, and her other best friend has been the hotshot pilot this whole time.

a fiercely addictive dystopian debut, blending sharp political intrigue, powers-based tension, and a sizzling slow-burn romance. With a bold heroine, unexpected twists, and Fourth Wing meets Divergent vibes, it's the perfect storm of action, heart, and heat!

In short, let me just say this book is not worth the hype. I don't know what made me stick with it for over 500 pages, but I should have DNFd. I found the writing to be very poorly done, and the world building wasn't fleshed out or described well at all. I guessed a major reveal very early on in the story, and it was so entirely predictable that I'm not sure why the author drew it out for so long. I appreciate dystopian as a genre when it has a strong message and offers insightful societal critique, but this one didn't achieve much in that regard.