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adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Idk guys I enjoyed this one. Maybe because my expectations were low? I think marketing was the problem for this one. I didn’t feel like this was a hunger games copy cat. There’s a reasonable overlap between this book, Hunger Games, and Shatter Me because they’re all dystopian and that’s okay. I could have lived without the spice but it’s not overly graphic. I’ll read the next book in the series
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Review (06/03/2025): I don’t know why the book’s blurb compares it to The Hunger Games, because they’re really nothing alike. THG is a YA dystopian novel with a romance subplot. SE is an adult romance novel (read: cursing and spice) with some fantasy/sci-fi elements (special powers) and a dystopian backdrop. The only thing they have in common is both FMCs, Wren and Katniss, are really skilled at shooting and are brave. SE lacks the world-building and social commentary that THG has, but it’s still fun to read if you go into it with accurate expectations.
I found Wren and some of the side characters (Kaine and Lyddie) to be really likable and engaging for most of the book. I liked the training school setting; I’m a sucker for anything in an academic setting. The plot and action was fast-paced enough that I was constantly engaged. I never felt tempted to DNF. The sci-fi/“magic” system of Modifieds (silverbloods) vs. Primes (normies) has been done in other books, but I was still intrigued by it. Mind control is the superpower I would want most, so it was fun reading about an FMC with that power. Admittedly, I wouldn’t struggle as much with the free-will issue, especially if someone was trying harm or kill me. So, it’s probably a good thing that I don’t have that ability. If anything, I could have used more detail and world-building re: how different powers work, why they developed, etc.
The part of the book that lost me was the romance. I’ve heard some people liken it to when a liberal woman has a conservative boyfriend, and that’s honestly a valid comparison. I didn’t like the MMC, Cross Redden, at all. From the beginning, Wren emphasizes how attracted to him she is despite being the son of General Redden, the man responsible for the death of thousands of Modified people. I believe that children shouldn’t be held responsible for their parents’ crimes, but when that child is a captain in the Prime army, he’s complicit at the least. If I know someone is directly involved in the suffering of countless people, I cannot be attracted to them. I don’t care how symmetrical their face is or how muscular they are. Watching Wren do that was actively painful, and no, the twist did not help.Even though Cross is secretly Modified and hasn’t killed any Mods himself, he has sent them to labor camps. And I’m sure that he’s worked with people who have killed Mods . I skipped the spicy scenes because I hated Cross that much. My only hope is that Dani Francis pulls an SJM and reveals someone else as Wren’s endgame love interest in later books.
The plot and FMC hooked me enough that I will be continuing this series. This first book was decent, but I hope the quality continues to improve.
Pre-read (05/30/2025): I’ve heard so many conflicting reviews of this book that I’m kind of scared to start it. Please tell me the author doesn’t use AI, because that’s an immediate DNF for me.
I found Wren and some of the side characters (Kaine and Lyddie) to be really likable and engaging for most of the book. I liked the training school setting; I’m a sucker for anything in an academic setting. The plot and action was fast-paced enough that I was constantly engaged. I never felt tempted to DNF. The sci-fi/“magic” system of Modifieds (silverbloods) vs. Primes (normies) has been done in other books, but I was still intrigued by it. Mind control is the superpower I would want most, so it was fun reading about an FMC with that power. Admittedly, I wouldn’t struggle as much with the free-will issue, especially if someone was trying harm or kill me. So, it’s probably a good thing that I don’t have that ability. If anything, I could have used more detail and world-building re: how different powers work, why they developed, etc.
The part of the book that lost me was the romance. I’ve heard some people liken it to when a liberal woman has a conservative boyfriend, and that’s honestly a valid comparison. I didn’t like the MMC, Cross Redden, at all. From the beginning, Wren emphasizes how attracted to him she is despite being the son of General Redden, the man responsible for the death of thousands of Modified people. I believe that children shouldn’t be held responsible for their parents’ crimes, but when that child is a captain in the Prime army, he’s complicit at the least. If I know someone is directly involved in the suffering of countless people, I cannot be attracted to them. I don’t care how symmetrical their face is or how muscular they are. Watching Wren do that was actively painful, and no, the twist did not help.
The plot and FMC hooked me enough that I will be continuing this series. This first book was decent, but I hope the quality continues to improve.
Pre-read (05/30/2025): I’ve heard so many conflicting reviews of this book that I’m kind of scared to start it. Please tell me the author doesn’t use AI, because that’s an immediate DNF for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual assault, Vomit, War
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5
My Thoughts: I've been trying to put together my thoughts on this book because I needed time to truly digest exactly what I didn't like about it. Silver Elite promises to be reminiscent of books like The Hunger Games, but I think that is one of the worst comparisons because it has none of the intrigue or depth of the amazing and impactful world Suzanne Collins created. To compare the two is like a slap in the face.
Let me preface by saying that if you enjoy this, I'm not judging you. There are definitely parts of this book that can pull you in, and if you weren't reading critically or you're "just in it for the vibes," I can see why you might enjoy this. But, I did not, and this is my review. So beware if you read on that I'm about to bash Silver Elite. This is your final warning.
The beginning of the novel did promise some sort of interesting plot. We follow our female main character, Wren, as she tries to live in a world that despises her kind. She's modified--a "Mod"--which means she has special abilities. (I'd love to tell you how Mods were created, but I've erased that tidbit from my memory.) She can read minds, communicate telepathically, and, as we find out later, incite--control other people's minds. Wren lives with her uncle, who's not really her uncle, Jim who works for the resistance, trying to free the Mods from the grip of a tyrannical ruler. One day, Wren comes home to find Jim arrested for treason and sentenced to death.At Jim's execution, Wren accidentally uses her powers to incite the executioners and, almost, have them k!ll themselves. Instead, they just turn and point their guns back on Jim, and he's mûrdered by firing squad.
Wren is taken in for questioning, and the officers decide to reallocate her home and have her train to join the Silver Block--an elite group of soldiers committed to finding and eliminating Mods. We're told multiple times (way too many, in my opinion) that Wren is the best of the best and she has to hold back so they don't suspect her, but instead of being average, Wren is so purposefully bad that she still brings attention to herself.Wren has a couple of close calls such as when there's a healing Mod, working for the tyrannical ruler, who can heal the scars that cover her inciter mark that would reveal her as a Mod. But she somehow talks her way out of this situation and others despite being stupidly reckless.
Of course throughout all of this, Wren finds herself lusting over almost every man she comes across, but above all, she finds herself desperately attracted (more like infatuated, tbh) to a man named Cross--the son of the tyrannical General Redden. I can't tell you how many sentences I read that had the same sentiment of: "Oh he's SOOO hot and I'm unbearably attracted to him. But he's the General's son. I shouldn't be feeling this way. But I can't help it." *insert eyeroll here*
The middle of the book is mostly full of training montages and Wren lusting over Cross. Unsurprisingly, the two finally give in to their unexplainable attraction to each other and start to bang all. The. Time. I don't know how these two supposedly "busy" people have so much time to knock boots, but they do. Even after Wren gives in, she still questions how she gave up her morals so easily, and honestly, I'm wondering the same thing, girl. You seem to feel very strongly about protecting yourself and other Mods while banging the son of the man who enslaves and k!lls them. But whatever. You do you, I guess.We do find out eventually that Cross is (shocker) a Mod himself. He's actually the childhood friend Wren somehow telepathically connected to, who she's never met but has been communicating with for over a decade. Who could've seen that coming. *insert my definitely shocked face here*
The end of the novel is *probably* the most exciting part, but it's ruined by how rushed it is. The author waited until the very last minute to fit in all of the important information and therefore brought everything to a screeching halt, relying on a cliffhanger and pure shock factor to keep readers interested in the next book.The resistance finally takes down General Redden, but they leave Wren behind because she (stupidly!) told Cross and two of her friends that she's a Mod and the most dangerous kind--an inciter. She got rid of her scars that cover her inciter mark, so she can't even hide it anymore. Cross and one of the soldiers (I didn't even remember who he was because he was so forgettable and the side characters are so poorly written) try to get Wren out, and she somehow makes it through a super dangerous area with this soldier and makes it to the resistance. There, we find out that a character we thought was dead isn't and is actually a Mod and part of the resistance. What might've been my favorite part of the book was when Cross called Wren stupid for a decidedly idiotic choice. Thank goodness for some common sense.
I think what bothered me the most about this book is that it is mostly dystopian for the vibes, and that just doesn't fly with me. Dystopian novels always have been, and always should be, written to critique and shed light on corrupt systems. Yes, Silver Elite features a corrupt system with a tyrannical ruler who seeks to put down a group of people. However, what it doesn't have is any critique of the system. Wren simply goes along with everything until it's convenient for her not to. Her love interest says he wants to be a part of the system because it's a better use of his time than resisting it. The story relied on spice, plot twists, "shocking" reveals, and a "strong" FMC to keep it going.
Now don't get me wrong--I'm not saying there isn't room for a spicy, romantic dystopian novel. I truly believe this could be well done if it's truly a dystopian novel and features a romance between people who are trying to find love in a desperate situation. But Silver Elite does not do that. Instead, it focuses on the minute-by-minute action instead of zooming out and looking at the entire corrupt system. It offers plenty of spicy scenes, but the connection between Cross and Wren is so superficial that it doesn't add anything to the plot. (Plus, I don't think the spice is well written. Sorry.)
I don't know if this has coherently, or even incoherently, expressed how I feel about this novel. But I just found too many things wrong with it. I don't say this lightly--I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that this was fully, or even partially, generated by AI. The conversations were clunky. The side characters barely played a role other than to "tug at your heartstrings" and move the plot along. The plot was an amalgamation of tropes and preexisting magic systems and worlds. I could go on and on.
Needless to say, I will not be continuing this series. I will look at reviews to see what happened and what people thought of it, but I don't need to waste any more time or money on this story.
My Thoughts: I've been trying to put together my thoughts on this book because I needed time to truly digest exactly what I didn't like about it. Silver Elite promises to be reminiscent of books like The Hunger Games, but I think that is one of the worst comparisons because it has none of the intrigue or depth of the amazing and impactful world Suzanne Collins created. To compare the two is like a slap in the face.
Let me preface by saying that if you enjoy this, I'm not judging you. There are definitely parts of this book that can pull you in, and if you weren't reading critically or you're "just in it for the vibes," I can see why you might enjoy this. But, I did not, and this is my review. So beware if you read on that I'm about to bash Silver Elite. This is your final warning.
The beginning of the novel did promise some sort of interesting plot. We follow our female main character, Wren, as she tries to live in a world that despises her kind. She's modified--a "Mod"--which means she has special abilities. (I'd love to tell you how Mods were created, but I've erased that tidbit from my memory.) She can read minds, communicate telepathically, and, as we find out later, incite--control other people's minds. Wren lives with her uncle, who's not really her uncle, Jim who works for the resistance, trying to free the Mods from the grip of a tyrannical ruler. One day, Wren comes home to find Jim arrested for treason and sentenced to death.
Wren is taken in for questioning, and the officers decide to reallocate her home and have her train to join the Silver Block--an elite group of soldiers committed to finding and eliminating Mods. We're told multiple times (way too many, in my opinion) that Wren is the best of the best and she has to hold back so they don't suspect her, but instead of being average, Wren is so purposefully bad that she still brings attention to herself.
Of course throughout all of this, Wren finds herself lusting over almost every man she comes across, but above all, she finds herself desperately attracted (more like infatuated, tbh) to a man named Cross--the son of the tyrannical General Redden. I can't tell you how many sentences I read that had the same sentiment of: "Oh he's SOOO hot and I'm unbearably attracted to him. But he's the General's son. I shouldn't be feeling this way. But I can't help it." *insert eyeroll here*
The middle of the book is mostly full of training montages and Wren lusting over Cross. Unsurprisingly, the two finally give in to their unexplainable attraction to each other and start to bang all. The. Time. I don't know how these two supposedly "busy" people have so much time to knock boots, but they do. Even after Wren gives in, she still questions how she gave up her morals so easily, and honestly, I'm wondering the same thing, girl. You seem to feel very strongly about protecting yourself and other Mods while banging the son of the man who enslaves and k!lls them. But whatever. You do you, I guess.
The end of the novel is *probably* the most exciting part, but it's ruined by how rushed it is. The author waited until the very last minute to fit in all of the important information and therefore brought everything to a screeching halt, relying on a cliffhanger and pure shock factor to keep readers interested in the next book.
I think what bothered me the most about this book is that it is mostly dystopian for the vibes, and that just doesn't fly with me. Dystopian novels always have been, and always should be, written to critique and shed light on corrupt systems. Yes, Silver Elite features a corrupt system with a tyrannical ruler who seeks to put down a group of people. However, what it doesn't have is any critique of the system. Wren simply goes along with everything until it's convenient for her not to. Her love interest says he wants to be a part of the system because it's a better use of his time than resisting it. The story relied on spice, plot twists, "shocking" reveals, and a "strong" FMC to keep it going.
Now don't get me wrong--I'm not saying there isn't room for a spicy, romantic dystopian novel. I truly believe this could be well done if it's truly a dystopian novel and features a romance between people who are trying to find love in a desperate situation. But Silver Elite does not do that. Instead, it focuses on the minute-by-minute action instead of zooming out and looking at the entire corrupt system. It offers plenty of spicy scenes, but the connection between Cross and Wren is so superficial that it doesn't add anything to the plot. (Plus, I don't think the spice is well written. Sorry.)
I don't know if this has coherently, or even incoherently, expressed how I feel about this novel. But I just found too many things wrong with it. I don't say this lightly--I wouldn't be surprised if it came out that this was fully, or even partially, generated by AI. The conversations were clunky. The side characters barely played a role other than to "tug at your heartstrings" and move the plot along. The plot was an amalgamation of tropes and preexisting magic systems and worlds. I could go on and on.
Needless to say, I will not be continuing this series. I will look at reviews to see what happened and what people thought of it, but I don't need to waste any more time or money on this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Violence, Classism
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture
Minor: Drug use, Mental illness, Slavery, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
⭐️4
🌶️open door
Wren has telepathic abilities in a world where that gets you killed. She’s been training and helping the Uprising for years in small ways but then a big mistake lands her in an elite training program with Command, so she decides to devastate their cause from the inside. She’s harboring dangerous secrets while surrounded by people who would want her dead, but falling for the enemy could be the biggest threat.
The story snagged my attention immediately and held it throughout. I enjoyed learning about the dystopian world the author created and rooting for the FMC, who was wonderfully snarky and bold.
This had a Divergent style influence but heavier on the romance.
I didn’t love the brusque interactions between the MMC and FMC in the first 30%. I think it’s because there was not enough dialogue to understand his motivations. They definitely had an underdeveloped relationship for most of the story although it did improve toward the end.
There also was quite a bit of repetition in the inner monologue of the FMC.
If tropes and trigger warnings are spoilers to you read no further ——>
✨dystopian
✨strong B.A. FMC
✨military training
✨political intrigue
✨plot twists
✨once to get it out of our systems
✨enemies to lovers
🛑Explicit language throughout, violence, death, 4.5 open door explicit scenes
🌶️open door
Wren has telepathic abilities in a world where that gets you killed. She’s been training and helping the Uprising for years in small ways but then a big mistake lands her in an elite training program with Command, so she decides to devastate their cause from the inside. She’s harboring dangerous secrets while surrounded by people who would want her dead, but falling for the enemy could be the biggest threat.
The story snagged my attention immediately and held it throughout. I enjoyed learning about the dystopian world the author created and rooting for the FMC, who was wonderfully snarky and bold.
This had a Divergent style influence but heavier on the romance.
I didn’t love the brusque interactions between the MMC and FMC in the first 30%. I think it’s because there was not enough dialogue to understand his motivations. They definitely had an underdeveloped relationship for most of the story although it did improve toward the end.
There also was quite a bit of repetition in the inner monologue of the FMC.
If tropes and trigger warnings are spoilers to you read no further ——>
✨dystopian
✨strong B.A. FMC
✨military training
✨political intrigue
✨plot twists
✨once to get it out of our systems
✨enemies to lovers
🛑Explicit language throughout, violence, death, 4.5 open door explicit scenes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Like many readers, it’s hard not to draw parallels between Silver Elite and The Hunger Games — and honestly, I don’t mind one bit. The Games had President Snow; Silver Elite gives us General Redden. The Capitol and Peacekeepers become the Continent and The Company. Numbered Districts? Here, we have lettered Wards. And then there's Wren — our fierce, impulsive, sassy, and strong FMC who channels all the fire of a Katniss while still standing firmly in her own right.
So yes I will say that a certain dystopian formula is evident — but guess what? It works. And I am SO here for it.
I’d also seen Silver Elite compared to Fourth Wing, so when I opened to a map and prepared myself for a maze of impossible-to-pronounce names and overly elaborate worldbuilding, I was so relieved to find regular-sounding character and place names. It made diving into the story the perfect blend of easy and epic!
I loved the rich worldbuilding and fast pacing — I never feel lost or bogged down. I has great “found family” vibes (as confusing as these are for Wren as she wrestles with which side she should be feeling for), and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic brings that delicious slow burn (yes, it gets spicy), and the ongoing theme? Trust no one. Lie to everyone, was delicious.
Even though I guessed the big twist ahead of time, it didn’t lessen the thrill for me, the strength of the characters and the world kept me hooked right to the end.
If you enjoy your dystopian reads with a side of sass, a dash of danger, and a slow burn romance that simmers — Silver Elite delivers. Bring on the next book! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
So yes I will say that a certain dystopian formula is evident — but guess what? It works. And I am SO here for it.
I’d also seen Silver Elite compared to Fourth Wing, so when I opened to a map and prepared myself for a maze of impossible-to-pronounce names and overly elaborate worldbuilding, I was so relieved to find regular-sounding character and place names. It made diving into the story the perfect blend of easy and epic!
I loved the rich worldbuilding and fast pacing — I never feel lost or bogged down. I has great “found family” vibes (as confusing as these are for Wren as she wrestles with which side she should be feeling for), and the enemies-to-lovers dynamic brings that delicious slow burn (yes, it gets spicy), and the ongoing theme? Trust no one. Lie to everyone, was delicious.
Even though I guessed the big twist ahead of time, it didn’t lessen the thrill for me, the strength of the characters and the world kept me hooked right to the end.
If you enjoy your dystopian reads with a side of sass, a dash of danger, and a slow burn romance that simmers — Silver Elite delivers. Bring on the next book! I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, War
Minor: Mental illness
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
a couple that actually communicates and doesn't hide anything from each other??? im my sci-fi dystopian romance?? color me shocked and unbelievably sat. i was a little skeptical of this at first due to all the divergent comparisons and supposed hunger games vibes because i rarely trust opinions like that but this one gladly proved me wrong. it did have a lot of divergent touches and a little bit of a THG feel to it while still managing to be its own thing, and i liked that. i do admit that it is getting a bit tedious seeing the "superpowered couple can communicate telepathically" trope (gestures to feysand and xadenviolet, though i do LOVE all of them don't get it twisted), and yet another intimidating but hot and deliciously sassy dark haired leading man in a position of power, but fuck it. its always been easy for me to like things anyway. i can look past it and still have a blast. 4.25 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual harassment, War
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Racism
Minor: Sexual assault
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved everything about this book! I stayed up obscenely late reading it in one day. The steam, angst, and relationship drama between Wren and Cross was perfect. Dani Francis does a great job creating a realistic world with a complex and unique magic system. I cannot wait to read book 2! Some parts of the book were a little predictable, but there were still a lot of things that surprised me. I really enjoyed the slow reveal of events from Wren's past. I'm not always a fan of enemies to lovers, but Cross was just so perfect for Wren. I also found Wren to be extremely likable; I liked seeing her be strong, yet reckless. Cross reminded me a bit of Xaden from Fourth Wing. (Which is perfect, because all I want is more Xaden/Violet, and this book kind of scratched that itch.)
Content: violence, death, sex, torture
Spice rating: 5 out of 5🔥
Content: violence, death, sex, torture
Spice rating: 5 out of 5🔥
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence
Moderate: Death