Honest Book Review of Silver Elite
Author: Dani Francis
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I’ll be honest—I picked up Silver Elite out of pure curiosity. After seeing a wave of negative reviews, I had to know what all the fuss was about. And you know what? It wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised.
The plot was entertaining and held my attention from start to finish. It had just the right mix of drama, tension, and intrigue to keep me turning pages. While there were definitely some moments that leaned into the over-the-top or trope-heavy side of dystopian romance, I found myself enjoying the ride more than I expected.
The main character had her flaws (and okay, maybe a few eye-roll-worthy decisions), but I could see the potential in her arc. The world-building was solid enough to ground the story, and the pacing never dragged. I wasn’t bored once. That said, I did wish there was more depth to the world-building. In my opinion it was weak in regards to that. I have read enough dystopian books to know that this didn’t give enough information of what world our main character is living.
The setting had so much potential—especially the academy—but the actual events that took place there were few and far between. We would have a brief glance into it and then we would jump to the next scene. It felt like a missed opportunity to expand on a cool premise.
Sure, it’s not without its imperfections, and I can understand why it didn’t work for everyone. But for me? This was a fun, fast-paced read that scratched the itch for a dystopian that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
FYI: I don’t really considered this a romantasy even though it is slightly marketed as one by other content creators.
Am I shocked I’m actually looking forward to the next book? A little. But I’m invested now, and I want to see where Dani Francis takes things next.
Bottom line: Silver Elite might not be perfect, but it’s better than the internet led me to believe—and if you’re in the mood for a guilty pleasure with bite, this one’s worth a shot.
If you really want some steamy dystopian romance, I would highly recommend reading Savage Lands by Stacey Marie Brown where the spice level is 5 🌶️’s.
⚠️⚠️SPOILER⚠️⚠️
Let’s get into the spoiler territory because Silver Elite by Dani Francis had some moments worth unpacking—both for better and for worse.
Wren is a Mod, she is born with psychic abilities due to toxin exposure. But unlike most, her silver-modified veins don’t show. Usually with the silver showing through is why they are called Silverbloods.
That mystery alone gave her some edge in a society where being a Mod means you’re basically one mistake away from execution. Her unique condition allows her to be in society without being detected, which becomes an important thread in the story.
She’s also an Inciter, meaning she can control minds (which is incredibly dangerous and rare). Apparently she has four mod abilities. I can guarantee you by the end of this series, she will discover she has a few more. Because, she is not like everyone else kind of girl. *eye roll*
It just broke my heart that her guardian Jim died within a few chapters of the book. It made the story compelling but it broke my readers heart.
I loved the concept, and the idea of her being undercover while working among the enemy was one of the strongest parts of the book. It added tension, especially as she tries to balance survival with sabotage. But it was also the most short lived part of the story and it took a hot minute to finally come to that.
Some scenes, though, felt a little too familiar. Around the 48% mark, there’s a major moment that mirrors a well-known scene from The Hunger Games. The scene from Hunger Games where no one is paying attention to Katniss and she decided to shoot an arrow at the pig which shocked the judges. The EXACT same thing happened in this book. But lets use a gun instead of arrow. I am not a big fan of authors doing a exact copy of scenes from another book. I am looking at you Powerless.
Character-wise, Commander Cross Redden, the General’s son, is one of those love interests that walks the line between “morally gray” and “yikes.” His pet names like “Dove” (another commanding officer uses ‘Sweetling’) were more cringe than cute, and he constantly pulls rank while also toeing the line of harassment. Gave me a lot of whiplash on this character and annoyed me.
Recruit Ivy brings some classic girl-on-girl jealousy drama that felt a little high-school for such a life-or-death setting. Why do authors have to bring such unnecessary drama into the story?!?!
Lyddie pushing up Wren’s underwear to confirm Wren’s birthmark? Totally out of line and just weird.
Kaine’s death was surprisingly emotional—probably the one that hit hardest out of all the death’s in the book. But plot twist, he never died. He is actually Gray, the infamous plane pilot for the rebellion. Didn’t exactly see that coming because at the time I was still mourning his fake death.
By the end, I expected an intense, dramatic escape scene. Instead? They just… walked out. Hence the frustration of the cut scenes that are short lived. For a story filled with tension, that final moment lacked the punch it needed.
