There was so much hype and conversation surrounding Silver Elite by Dani Francis that I decided to wait a while to read it so that I could give it a fair shot without all the noise.
Silver Elite is a dystopian science fiction fantasy romance set in a future world under a militaristic authoritarian government. Dystopian literature always feels a little unsettling, but now it feels significant to a new degree. I live in the United States, and each day feels like we’re sliding a little further into authoritarianism. Any time a brave woman with special powers would like to come save us all, we’re ready.
Under an authoritarian regime dedicated to wiping out silver bloods, Wren Darlington’s very existence is a crime, punishable by execution. Silver bloods, or the Modified, are the result of a toxin released during a war over a century before. The toxin gave certain members of the population telepathic abilities.
Wren has lived her whole life shrouded in secrecy, hiding her dangerous abilities. Sometimes she runs small missions for the Uprising, but mostly she works on her uncle’s ranch and tries to keep her head down.
It works okay for her until a horrible situation arises and Wren’s reckless nature takes over, and her whole life changes in a single moment. A Silver Elite captain notices her and recruits her for his training program. Caught between the resistance and the regime, Wren must strike a delicate balance and make sure no one ever finds out what she really is, all while battling her attraction to the mysterious Captain.
Wren is reckless and impulsive, which makes her a delight to read because you’re never quite sure what the hell she’s going to do next. In impossible situations, she manages to always make things interesting.
There is a depth to Captain Cross that draws the reader in, and makes us want to know what’s underneath his commanding mask and layers of mystery. As the story goes on, we get some of those layers peeled away to reveal a complex man.
The tension between the two of them is perfection. Cross is ice and Wren is fire and the chemistry between them builds painfully slowly, but it’s a delight. Once the romance side of the story comes into play, the spice is explicit, but not wildly spicy by any means. The spice is just a sprinkle in a story that is largely driven by the plot.
Silver Elite was a surprisingly emotional story. I was expecting lots of action, which is certainly there, but this story is also filled with heartbreaking tragedy and characters that are forced by circumstances into incredible strength.
There is a good balance of exciting plot moments and the necessary setup and worldbuilding. Seasoned fantasy readers will notice some of the genre’s most common tropes, but they are all used in a way that feels both unique and right in the story.
The story is alarming in so many ways. If you remove the speculative elements, it is so easy to see how the U.S. could end up looking something like this in the not-so-distant future.
There are certainly diehard loyalists willing to betray their own mothers for a brisk nod of approval from that man or his sycophants
Silver Elite ended on a cliffhanger, and the whole last quarter of the book had my heart racing. I am utterly hooked on Wren and Cross, and I can’t wait to see what happens next in the series.
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