Genre: Fantasy, Dystopia, Romance, Science Fiction, Fiction, and Adult
Synopsis: Psychic gifts are a death sentence and there are rules to survival: Trust no one. Lie to everyone. And whatever you do, don’t fall for your greatest enemy.
TRUST NO ONE.
Wren Darlington has spent her whole life in hiding, honing her psychic abilities and aiding the rebel Uprising in small ways. On the Continent, being Modified means certain death—and Wren is one of the most powerful Mods in existence. When one careless mistake places her in the hands of the enemy and she’s forced to join their most elite training program, she’s finally handed the perfect opportunity to strike a devastating blow from inside their ranks.
LIE TO EVERYONE.
But training for Silver Block can be deadly, especially when you’re harboring dangerous secrets and living in close quarters with everyone who wants you dead.
AND WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T FALL FOR YOUR GREATEST ENEMY.
As the stakes grow ever higher, Wren must prove herself to Silver Block. But that’s easier said than done when your commanding officer is the ruthless and infuriatingly irresistible Cross Redden, who doesn’t miss anything when it comes to her. And as war rages between Mods like her and those who aim to destroy them, Wren must decide just how far she’s willing to go to protect herself . . . and how much of the Continent is worth saving.
⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD
Review: I try not to have expectations when I first begin to read a book. So when I say I had no idea what to expect when it came to Silver Elite, I truly mean it.
Silver Elite explores trust, survival, coming to terms with ones identity (albeit briefly), and power. The synopsis tells you that the story follows a psychic who’s not supposed to trust anyone, who’s supposed to lie to everyone, and who’s not supposed to fall for her greatest enemy—so obviously, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.
Even with a fairly predictable plot, I found myself enjoying it. Dani Francis made me feel like I was right there alongside Wren while she contemplated how to save herself and the people she cared about.
Silver Elite is a straight-forward and fast-paced story and it opens with action—Wren sneaking out of a man’s bed, only to accidentally walk into another man’s room and get into a tussle with him. Later, she shoots a wolf directly in the eye, a shot most people wouldn’t be able to make from such a distance. But I guess when someone’s life is in danger and your adrenaline is pumping anything is possible, right? Right… or you’re just that good of a shot and no one is buying the story you’re trying to sell.
And, of course, that one-in-a-million shot brings attention to Wren and her uncle, both of whom are trying their hardest to lie low. And that’s how Wren’s uncle ends up in front of a firing squad. Why, you may ask? Because he’s also a psychic (known as a mod or aberrant in the story) and was once a leader in the rebellion.
Which is how Wren ends up “auditioning” for the Silver Elite, supposedly the best squad around. I say “auditioning” loosely, since it’s meant to be voluntary, and Wren didn’t truly have a choice. She was told she either makes it through the selection process or she’s sent to the concentration camps. Hmph.
This ultimatum is delivered by none other than one of the general’s sons—the man in charge of the Silver Elite—who also happens to be the same man whose room Wren stumbled into on that fateful day. The day that changed her life forever.
Enter Wolf—excuse me I mean, Cross Redden. The way his character is written, he’s supposed to be this stern, commanding, intimidating soldier. But, at times, he comes off as your stereotypical douche. He gives Wren a cruel ultimatum immediately after the only family she’s ever known is killed, continuously puts her down throughout her training with the Silver Elite, and makes several unprofessional comments along the way. There is undeniable tension between the two, and Cross assumes Wren will inevitably jump into bed with him.
Which she promptly does.
But, that’s not the point! I promise.
As it turns out, Cross is also a mod—a mod who Wren has known (and been secretly communicating with) since she was a little girl. This is one of the more predictable twists in the story, but it’s still a satisfying one.
I do wish the “romance” between Wren and Cross had been given more time to develop. Rather than feeling like a true enemies-to-lovers arc, it often comes across as an itch that needed to be scratched—and then scratched again. It would have been far more compelling to see their relationship evolve from enemies, to allies (though Wren was definitely going to double-cross him), to friends, and finally to lovers. The relationship develops too quickly, and Cross, in particular, could have benefited from more depth during the time it would have taken for them to truly get to know each other after they realized who they really were to one another.
All in all, for a debut novel, Silver Elite is pretty good and there’s potential for growth. And I know it’s classified as a dystopian, but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to readers who are devoted to the genre. Instead, it’s best suited for fans of romantasy or readers who prefer a fast-paced plot over a slow-burn romance.
I will be reading the sequel, Broken Dove, when it’s released. I’m curious to see where the story goes next.
Star Rating: 3.5/5
Content Warnings: Death, explicit sexual content, grief, murder, religious intolerance, and violence