This book was everything I wanted and more! I haven’t been into dystopian books lately so I was a little worried starting this, but I really shouldn’t have because I was hooked from the first page. This book made me feel like I was a teenager again, reading Hunger Games and Divergent for the first time. The plot was plotting, Wren was a badass (a little too much at times? Maybe? Who cares, I enjoyed every second of it!), Cross was DELICIOUS, I think I highlighted every other sentence that came out of his mouth. The end threw me for a loop: I predicted one of the plot twists, but the others took me by surprise and gave me whiplash because they just.kept.coming!

Now I’m left with so many questions and theories, feeling empty and scared for these characters, counting the days until book 2 releases!

I might update this review later when I have more coherent thoughts, but for now I will be screaming into the void and making everyone read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, and the author for this arc.

This is the hot, thrilling dystopian fantasy everyone’s been waiting for. Wren is Modified, in a world ruled by un-gifted Primes: she possesses silverblood gifts rare and powerful even amongst her kind. But they must be hidden, at all costs: Mods are sentenced to labour camps at best, death at worst.

When an error of judgement draws her to the attention of the Company, Wren is drafted in as a potential recruit for Silver Block, the secretive high-ranking military unit. Wren realises she also has a rare opportunity to infiltrate the enemy from the inside and obtain precious intel. But she will have to tread a careful line to work her way into the favour of the powerful: including the dangerous and attractive General’s son, Cross Redden. Can she protect herself, her own kind - and her heart?

This was loads of fun and played out as you might expect - but was no less enjoyable for that. Francis is giving the people what they want, which is:

- secret hidden powers!
- Academy setting with tests to pass or fail!
- Adrenalin-fuelled paced thriller!
- Unexpectedly found family!
- Secrets and betrayals and undercover spy missions!
- Sexual tension and spice!
- A lovely horse, who comes to no harm on page!
- Terrible, horrible decision-making!

you’re gonna love it chat

📚 Book Review 📚

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A huge thank you to NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book. Special shout-out to my buddy readers @bex_boys_and_books and @archerofpages, this was a great read.

After reading some early one-liner reviews of this one I was excited to dive into it and boy was I pleasantly surprised.

It was impossible to slow down when reading this book. I tried to drag it out but the writing was engrossing and the plot was very pacy.

Wren and Cross were fantastic MCs, the push and pull between them was torture but entertaining. The secondary characters certainly had some standouts, Kaine was one of my favourites and I'm intrigued to see where other character arcs lead too.

There are trials, plot twists, spice, friendship and unanswered questions, making this a highly entertaining and superb read. My only question is, when are we getting book two?

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨

This was such an addictive read with some great character, and I can see why everyone is buzzing about it! I really saw the Divergent x Fourth Wing vibes and the tension in the romance was enough to keep every page turning! The plot twist was no great surprise, but I loved the way it ended with so much unfinished business. Will definitely want a physical copy for my shelves!

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

4 STARS

A very impressive debut novel! The world building and setting is thorough - you feel immersed from the start. The characters are well developed and the plot moves along swiftly- wasn't prepared for the ending! Will definitely be reading further sequels.

I did not expect that extremely chaotic ending, I actually feel windswept!

This book was absolutely everything, especially when you consider the fact it’s a debut. The characters were so well developed, the plot was definitely plotting and we were feeling all of the emotions throughout.

My favourite character was Kaine, he was such a breath of fresh air, so easy going and saw the funny side of everything, which really helped to brighten up the book.

After that ending, I’m not sure how I feel about wren, our fmc, she went off the rails a bit at the end there and I can’t say I agree with all of her choices. It was quite the cliffhanger though so I look forward to seeing how her character develops in the next book.

Now can someone tell me when the next one releases, I need it right about now😭

R E V I E W

Silver Elite by Dani Francis

☆☆☆☆☆

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Random House UK, Cornerstone | Del Rey via Netgalley

This book was completely addictive. I thought I'd outgrown my dystopian fiction era, but Silver Elite has happily proven me wrong. This narrative is a spicy adult amalgamation of Divergent, The Hunger Games, the Red Queen series, and Fourth Wing; effortlessly proving that you're never too old to escape reality and moreover, that the world we live in could always be worse.

Like the aforementioned YA offerings, Silver Elite revolves around a series of young adult characters, some going through the rigerous tests and trials necessary to grant them 'Silver Block' and 'Silver Elite' status in a world where humans rule and the Modified, or Aberrant (see: magically gifted) are subjugated, enslaved, hunted and killed.

Wren Darlington, our FMC, has been hiding in plain sight for years, gifted with four magical abilities marking her as one of the most powerful 'Mods' in the world. But when her careless actions see her uncle killed and her freedom taken, Wren is forced to enter the Silver Elite training program to prove her loyalty to the state. After spending a lifetime avoiding conflict and towing the line, Wren suddenly finds herself going against the grain and committing to her training at the behest of a Modified insurgency group. But with Silver Elite Captain Cross Redden's eyes never far from her, Wren quickly realises that she may be undercover, but she is not unnoticed, and what's worse? She's definitely noticing her gorgeous captain and unofficial captor right back.

This was a completely gripping first instalment, and I cannot wait to read the next. Whilst I predicted the major 'twists' in the plot, the writing was clever enough to leave a little room for doubt and engaging enough for me not to care when my predictions came to fruition. Did I find Wren's recklnessness a tad frustrating towards the end? Absolutely. Was I dreading the inevitable separation of our two main characters? Definitely. Author Dani Fancis graciously left my heart in tact- for now- but I don't doubt that she could do me some damage in the subsequent books, which I will most definitely be picking up.

Unfortunately I just don't think this one was for me. I liked the premise, the mods and command, but not enough to continue past 60%. It's definitely a me and not the book as I can see others have loved it. I think the academy setting just isn't my bag.

After a bit of a wary start, I absolutely ate this book up. We’re thrown into the world building from the first page, which felt a bit daunting and confusing initially. Once I found my feet with the terms of war and the who’s-who, I couldn’t put it down.

Silver Elite gives you an action packed plot, with a bunch of tension and peril to keep you reading and an enemies-to-lovers romance with the ‘he falls first’ trope we all know and love. The pacing was fast, but super engaging.

I loved the mix of characters, with the constant battle of trying to figure out who to trust and who to be wary of. A couple of the big ‘reveals’ were super predictable (Wolf being an obvious one), but I don’t feel it took anything away from my enjoyment at all.

With a story that’s chock full of telepathy, danger, desire, secrets and betrayal, this is definitely one you want to add to your tbr.

Absolutely incredible. The whole book feels like my favourite elements of dystopian books rolled into one perfect package. I have no doubt that Dani is going to create some wonderful work and I can't wait to read more.
For a debut novel, this is breath-taking!

Wow! This was such an exciting read, from the moment I started I couldn't stop reading! I loved loved the world and the concept of Mods. Wren was a great character to read about, and her chemistry with Cross?! The tension and their interactions were everything. Whilst I did see where the twists were going, I still had a great time because I couldn't wait for the characters to know what I knew. I need book 2 now please!

21 year old Wren Darlington is one of the most powerful mod’s in existence. On the Continent, being known as Modified means certain death at the hands of the Primes, those that were immune to the Biotoxin which nearly wiped out the population 150 years ago.
Wren has been able to conceal her abilities but a careless mistake places her Uncle in grave danger and now Wren is forced to join the Primes military. Instead of being rescued by the uprising they ask her to join Silver Elite and bring the Primes reign down from the inside.
I cannot believe this is Dani’s debut novel, her writing style is so immersive, truly bringing you into this Dystopian world. Wrens character is so resilient, she fiercely loves and protects those around her and when she looses everything I really felt such an emptiness within her.
Being forced to fight with those trying to destroy you goes against everything she stands for but with no way out, she has no option but to excel in order to be chosen for Silver Elite. Her biggest problem along the way is Cross Redden, her commanding officer and the son of her greatest enemy. This a true enemies to lovers in the best way possible, the wanting and angst between the two of them was so good!
Wren faces so many battles, not just physical ones but emotionally too. Forcing to hide your true self is hard, connections are made with enemies and lines are blurred which added so much more tension to the storyline.
There were a couple of surprising twists but for the most part I had predicted the last 20% but still enjoyed it playing out nonetheless, but for that reason alone it wasn’t quite a 5 star for me.
Thank you NetGalley, Dani Francis and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

I loved this book. It gave me all the dystopian vibes I was expecting, but also somehow met a few fantasy & romance elements I hadn't known I was looking for, but that totally bumped this up to be one of my top reads so far this year. The writing was just so easy to read & it played out like a movie. The pacing was brilliant & I never found myself checking how long was left.

It would be so easy to spoil this book, so I'll just say feisty FMC with telepathy powers, surrounded by gorgeous, flirty, brooding men that may or may not have her back. Questionable allies. Divergent & Hunger Games feels, but with spice.

The only bad thing about it is going to be the ridiculously long wait for the next book.

This book has dystopia paired with great characters - two things I really really love.

In a post-attack world, you are either a Prime (not having been affected by a biotoxin) or a Modified (with psychic powers). This is a big division, and both sides stand firm that the other side is doing wrong. Here, the author goes to great lengths to show that neither side is fully right or wrong - both having failed in parts while trying to protect their world.

We have Wren, a nearly great FMC, a Modified that has to hide her powers, and is doing well...until she isn't.
And we have Cross Redden, part of Command structure.
They both have secrets and things that shouldn't come to light. And both have a connection they didn't see coming.
And it has also a bunch of really enjoyable side characters that you love or hate...or both.

The first third of this book is great and had me hooked so much. The second third was a bit challenging for me and lost me a tiny bit. The last third is full of action, revelations and plot twists. Some of the twists you see coming from a mile away, some took me by surprise.

Overall, this was a really strong book, and I enjoyed myself most of the time. The romance was a bit cringe at first for me, but I warmed up to it.

I'll definitely keep reading and can recommend this full-heartedly.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @delreyuk @penguinrandomhouse for the widget to this eARC!

#SilverElite #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Thank you Netgally and the publisher for gifting me this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I want to start by saying that dystopian novels are my favorite to read. And Silver Elite, all in all, was a good dystopian. I liked the over-arching plot, although it was a bit predictable, the military aspect of the novel, and some other little things that were reminiscent of the Divergent series. However, I found the protagonist, Wren, and the romance, quite insufferable. I don’t understand why romantasy lately has become formulaic and sexual from the get-go. Can we not have a conversation, the first one maybe, without sex coming up? The relationship between Wren and Cross had no personality, no emotion, It was based only on physical attraction.
The ending was ok.
I'm sure that all the romantasy girlies will love this novel, but I'm starting to pull away from romantasy... I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

I just KNOW this is going to be the next big thing on BookTok and deservedly so!!! It gives Dystopian Fourth Wing vibes with the sarcastic banter and darker romance feel of Quicksilver and I ATE IT UP!!!!!!! I can’t believe there’s not already more hype for this as it’s going to be a staple Romantasy book as soon as it hits the shelves.

Set in a slightly futuristic dystopian world, with ‘Primes’ ruling and ‘Mods’ in hiding, the story follows Wren, a Mod with mind reading abilities, as she navigates her life being turned upside down and finds herself stuck surrounded by her Prime enemies. She has to try to keep her true self hidden and not fall for the disastrously hot Captain who seems pretty obsessed with her (of course we all know where that’s heading the moment Cross Redden hits the page)

I was hooked almost instantly, with easy to follow world building that feels natural within the story telling and characters I clicked with straight away.

Even with the majority of the story being in a school like setting it was never slow or boring, and it kept me guessing till the end.

The romance is intense and Cross has every Romantasy boyfriend trait we all can’t help but fall in love with! I was on board instantly and though it’s a wait for the spice to get spicing it was worth the wait 🌶️ 🔥.

The final act of the book was so intense! I was at the edge of my seat and couldn’t stop even though my anxiety was through the rough. It built perfectly though and the final pages had me needing to take a walk to digest what I had read.

I’m already excited for book two, and this book isn’t even out yet!!!!!

One of my favourite reads of the year so far and I can’t explain how much I can’t wait for this to blow up! You’re all gonna love it.

3.5! While the dystopian genre is certainly back, as a long standing dystopian girlie this one had the building blocks of something really cool, but ended up falling a little flat for me, the more I think about my overall reading experience. I think perhaps it was too formulaic for me to be really invested. The world itself was interesting and I loved Wren’s time in the Blacklands (I want to know more about this and I have a feeling we will) I could see the plot twists coming, because this book felt a bit like a marketable formula. 1 talented Oppressed Girl + 1 Brooding Emotionally Stunted Boy + A General Who Hates Aberrants + A Command Centre Turned Infiltration Job = dystopia.

However, I loved Wren as a narrator - did she make stupid decisions? Oh, of course. Was she consistent all the way through, both in time and in character? Yes. Do I love a reckless queen with a plan? Yes. Did she always have a plan? No! But I’ll forgive those sins when the reactions are realistic - life comes without plans and you can bet that Wren Darlington is going to grab it by the horns and make it reconsider messing with her. Wren is fierce and talented, funny and not afraid to get into messy situations. I did find the instant attention “he’s like a magnet we’re like an orbit” a touch tiring, when she was oscillating wildly between damning him as her enemy then being struck dumb by some baby blues, but I’ll forgive a feisty girl her attraction. She carried the book for me, truly - I enjoyed my time with Wren!

Cross? I liked him when he stopped being the macho brooding man that was blue eyes + dark hair + strong jaw + muscled + Hiding Secrets that only One Girl could discover. When he stopped shoving her up against walls and started letting his barriers down, I liked him much more. Please, more openly compassionate men when the doors are closed even if their cold heartedness is a front! His journey makes sense, as does his demeanour, but he felt just a little too “tall, ripped handsome dystopian bad boy” for me at times. Would the story have suited a soft boy? No. But, a little more depth on the page would have been nice - we could see it there! Some moments when I was like, excuse me sir, your possessiveness is just a tad trite, but, I enjoyed the eventual softening we got.

It does have a Divergent quality about it, and while I am nostalgic for 2010’s dystopias, I’m not sure that’s quite enough to make this a pulse pounding new classic.

I did however enjoy the dynamics between Wren and her unlikely teammates! I’ll admit, one plot point did surprise me in a good way at the end when a character is revealed to Wren, but again, I wasn’t overly invested in them to begin with to make the emotional wrench of their arc too impactful.

I coasted through this read most of the way, neither kicking my feet nor really laughing out loud at the banter, but it held my interest with its quick chapters and fun character dynamics - the worldbuilding itself in terms of the powers characters have, and the intrigue I know is waiting for me with regards to the Blacklands (I hope) and the developments I can see happening with the Uprising kept me reading.

It’s a good time if you’re looking for a fun enemies to lovers set in a badass school for elite soldiers working on the Bad Side of an oppressive regime. If you’re looking for a novel that breaks the wheel, this isn’t it. Formulaic, but damn it all if it isn’t a formula that still manages to work, even if you can tell each building block from another.

In Silver Elite, we arrive in a split world; there are the Primes, and the Modified. We meet Wren, a Mod with four psychic abilities who is catapulted into the continent’s military ranks, forced to join the elite Silver Block and fight with the Primes against the rebel Uprising. Can Wren survive the training, and keep her powers under the radar?

Everything about this book just pulled me in. The setting, the betrayals, the friendships, the banter, the sizzling enemies to lovers romance.

The characters gave me total Fourth Wing vibes; we have our badass female main character, our cocky male main character and a cast of loveable, cheeky side characters.

The pacing was perfect and it didn’t have a single lull. At times I did find myself gasping in my head at the twists and turns!

I truly believe this series is going to be HUGE and I’m so happy it’s a trilogy, if a little sad I have to wait a while for the next book.

The dystopian era is sooo back with this one and I can’t wait for everyone else to discover it 👏

This dystopian novel is phenomenal, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I read it! Wren seems to stumble from one bad situation to another but has this incredible sense of loyalty and determination throughout, so you can’t help but like her. The magic system unfolds gently as you progress in the story so never feels overwhelming or confusing. The romance does not ever overtake the plot and feels organic and beautiful. I cannot wait to continue with this series it is easily a five star read.

This cannot be the one and only book I need book 2 like stat I loved this book the way wrens personality is , is the way I wanna live my life she is so sassy and I love her dry sence if humor and cross reminds me of xaden if you know you know. My all time fave character has to be kainne I'm probably spelling it wrong but anywho I can't even put into words how much I loved this book can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy x