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

Okay this was amazing!!! Trying to write a coherent review for this that isn't just fifty different way of describing how amazing this is was so hard but here is my best go -

Wren is a Mod - a person who has telepathic abilities and is hunted by the government for what she is. Mods are also called Silverbloods because their veins glow silver when they use their powers - all except Wren. When Wren accidently draws attention to herself, her uncle is caught and she is forced to join the training program for Silver Block - elite soldiers trained to hunt down Mods. There she meets a grumpy and maddeningly cocky commander, Cross, who can see through her attempts to escape Silver Block, but despite their mutual mistrust, an undeniable chemistry starts to grow between them.

The 2000s dystopian romantasy era is back and honestly if this book doesn't reach Divergent level of hype then I will be mad because it deserves to! The plot was well paced, the writing was easy to read and quick moving, and the romance was so good I was kicking my feet. This book is very much written for the people who read Divergent as teenagers who are now into romantasy books (aka me) and I will be forcing everyone I know to read it

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 :(
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Guys I've been trying to read my cr but my minds still stuck on this 😭
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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 haven't had a book grip me the way this had in a very long time. The whole book = perfection for me. Its the perfect set up for the trilogy. There's not a moment in this I wasn't invested.

What to expect:
Dystopian world
Enemies to lovers
War
War/solider academy
Modified humans

I heard this was described as Fourth Wing x The Hunger Games and in a way I agree, you'll find no Dragons here but what you will find is an excellent plot, twists, and a great slow burn romance filled with delicious tension.
I haven't read a Dystopian book in awhile, and I loved the fact that this was unlike anything I've read before. It was a fresh unique idea that was executed so well. Dani is a fantastic writer.

I dont want to spoil this book for anyone but I think this will be the next BIG thing - well I hope it is, so please read and hype this book, Dani deserves all the love for this fabulous book.

Highly recommend and an easy 5 star read!

EXCUSE ME WHAT WAS THAT ENDING!?!

It's safe to say I haven't felt like this since 2012 so let's talk about it!

Silver Elite is the perfect dystopian urban fantasy that collides modernity with the classic strengths of this genre!

Cryptic stubborn heroine with an ambiguous background✔️

Grumpy insufferable son of the general who is bred to hate everything she is ✔️

Tragic back stories for literally everyone that will leave you in copious amounts of pain ✔️

Wren is the most dangerous kind of mod and her uncle has done everything in his power to keep her safe and hidden. One day when an accident happens causing wren to expose her unnatural talents her world is turned upside down when she finds herself recruited by the enemy. Not only that but she finds herself face to face with one of the most insufferable (yet hot)
Commanders!

Cross is the son of the leader of the opposition - can wren stay hidden? Or Will her heart betray her?

Enemies to lovers ✔️
Hate to whatever mess they end up becoming ✔️
Kept me up until 3am I felt sick the next day ✔️

2000s dystopian is THRIVING with this one - HELP, I need the next one now!!!!

I was super happy when I snagged an eArc on @netgalley Thank you @netgalley and @delreyuk

I just had to know if it was as good as it sounded and if it was worth all the hype. Well, let me tell you, it definitely didn't disappoint. I'm still thinking about this book long after reading it!

After the population is exposed to a biotoxin after the last war, some developed powers (modified) like telepathy, mind reading, and mind control. Our MFC Wren is one of the mods, and after concealing her powers for years, events happen, and she is on the Elite military groups radar. She ends up being forced to join a training program for the Primes, the ones without powers. Ohh and we can't forget Cross Redden, the sexy enemy and leader of the Elites.

This was a compulsive read packed with action, tension, plot twists, and banter, and after a slow burn, we get a thigh clenching bit of spice.

If you enjoy a dystopian novel, enemies to lovers, and forbidden romance, then this one is for you. It's giving Forth Wing crossed with Divergent/Hunger Games vibes.

Im a little obsessed and honestly could go back and read it all again!

This is one of my absolute favourites! Well done dani!!! Wow I was not expecting how good it was and for a debut. You’re going to go so far! I can’t wait to see what’s in your future. If you guys are looking for the next dystopian book this is it!