Silver Elite
Dani Francis
In the first book of a searing new dystopian trilogy, a young woman 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 world is divided. On the Continent, you’re either a Prime—immune to the biotoxin that nearly wiped out the Earth’s population 150 years ago—or a Modified, one who was enhanced by the toxin, developing powerful psychic gifts.As conflict rages between the two sides, Wren Darlington lives in hiding. Occasionally running the odd op for the rebel Uprising against the Primes’ oppressive rule, she must keep a low profile. After all, if the enemy finds out that she is a Mod with a staggering four psychic abilities, she won’t just be sent to the labor camps. She’ll be executed—immediately and without trial.When a careless mistake puts Wren in the crosshairs of the Continent’s military, she is taken captive and forced to join their most elite Silver Block. Unwittingly, they’ve handed her the perfect opportunity for the Uprising to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks. That is, if she can keep her powers hidden, survive training, and prove herself to Cross Redden, her maddeningly cocky commanding officer.Despite the explosive chemistry between them, Cross doesn’t trust her—even as he seems determined to destroy the remaining shreds of Wren’s self-control. Yet as the war between Primes and Mods escalates, and as Wren and Cross find themselves unable to stay away from each other, they must decide how far they’re willing to go for their secrets—and how much of the Continent is worth saving.
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I had high hopes for this book after hearing so many great things, but unfortunately, I don’t think I was the right audience for it. There were several points where I wanted to put it down because I was completely exhausted by the main character and her love interest, but I kept pushing through just to see where it would go.
The premise itself had potential, a dystopian world ruled by an oppressive regime, where the protagonist, gifted with four hidden abilities, is given the opportunity to aid a rebellion in taking down the regime from within its elite military forces. It gave me strong 2000s dystopian vibes, which made me excited to dive in. But in the end, the execution just didn’t live up to its potential. The worldbuilding felt underdeveloped and needed more explanation. While the pacing was fast, not much actually happened, and the book could have been shorter since a lot of scenes felt repetitive and like filler.
There were several things that frustrated me, starting with the main character, Wren. Her entire character seemed to revolve around men—constantly thinking about them, obsessing over them, and even lusting after those tied to the very regime she’s supposed to be fighting. Her morals were all over the place, making her actions feel inconsistent. On top of that, she was insufferable. She came across as immature, impulsive, and prone to making incredibly reckless decisions, especially toward the end. The moment she removed her scar just to prove her love for Cross was downright ridiculous. Then, there were the side characters, who barely had any personality, including the love interest, Cross. Everyone in this book felt flat and one-dimensional, making them forgettable.
The romance didn’t help either. It wasn’t even romance. It was pure insta-lust with no emotional depth. Even when Wren and Cross declared their love for each other, it felt empty and unconvincing. If the author wanted to establish a long-standing connection between them since Cross had loved her for years, there should have been more meaningful development through their telepathic communication, but that aspect was barely explored. To make matters worse, some of Cross’s actions felt straight-up problematic, bordering on sexual harassment, which made me extremely uncomfortable. On top of all that, the twists were very predictable, making the story feel even more underwhelming.
Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. It had the potential to be a great dystopian read, but the lack of depth, frustrating characters, and forced romance made it a letdown.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Worlds - Del Rey for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
0The stakes? High. The tension? Thick. The plot twists? Relentless. My sleep schedule? Nonexistent. Silver Elite by Dani Francis had me hooked from the start, and every time I thought I had a handle on where things were going, another twist hit me out of nowhere. I remember one of the twists had me audibly gasping when I finally realized what was going on. Wren is a fierce, compelling lead, and Cross? Exactly the kind of morally grey disaster we all love. But let’s be honest, the side characters within this novel really steal the show. It also has a complex military academy setting with deadly assessments, shocking betrayals, blurred allegiances in a rebellion and are uprising. For a debut novel, I’m impressed. Was it predictable at times? A little. But honestly, I didn’t overly mind. The world-building is well-developed, making it easy to follow and immerse myself in. It had that nostalgic feel of the 2010s dystopian trend, but with a fresh, adult spin that I so desperately need right now. It reminded me of the Darkest Minds meets Divergent. However, the story stagnated a little about halfway through the book, I think it needed an extra bit of editing love to cut down on repetitiveness. I see so much potential in this storyline and I hope we're starting to see more Dystopian books released. I can’t wait to see how Dani Francis continues to grow. *Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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