Silver Elite: Chapter 30
Nov. 2nd, 2025 08:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
penwallaThe recruits are now being forced to jog in the mornings to improve their fitness.
Again, I don't understand why they didn't start with fitness testing for these recruits. Either only allow people who are physically capable of the work required or test them all at the start so you can get them up to speed. It's wild that we're only a few weeks from the end of training and now the officers are noticed that some of their elite recruits aren't strong enough.
And also, I don't understand how any recruit could enter an elite military training program and not assume they would need to do physically strenuous things.
Like...what? She just assumed she could get a desk job immediately? In an elite military strike force? Even fucking Fourth Wing understood this and had a separate scribe quadrant.
So apparently there are different subsections within Silver Block and Silver Elite is just the name of the fieldwork unit. But this is the first time in the fucking book we have had clarity on the structure of the military, and up until this point it seemed like everyone was training to be in Silver Elite, and the author's insistent on the most generic naming schemes possible is not helping. But I stand by my complaint. It is silly for Lyddie to think that if her goal is to be in Intelligence she won't have to undergo any physical testing, because that's a standard part of military basic training.
Unfortunately...Cross is now here. So we have to pause this hackneyed exposition so Wren can be horny about him.
Wren blames her "stupid fucking heart" which is insane because these two have not had a single moment of genuine romance in the book so far.
And even worse, guess who else is here? It's Jordan? Who is Jordan? I didn't remember either, don't worry--it's the guy she was banging in the first chapter. He is, of course, still into her and convinced of her innocence. As a reminder, this guy fucked her one time several weeks ago. But he is still besotted with her, because, you know, she's the protagonist.
I assume this interaction is just here so Cross can be jealous.
Now, back to training. Undercover operations are starting. All the recruits are assigned a new identity which they have two hours to memorize. Each of them will have a handler in the field with them, and of course, Wren is assigned to Cross.
I assume that these aren't real operations and that this is an exercise meant to prepare them for the real deal, but I also would not be surprised if it were otherwise because this book is stupid.
Wren's operation is to get intel out of a brothel owner, and she has to go into the brothel to get info under the guise of a woman looking for work. Now, I am going to predict that this is a set up for Cross to be a client and her to be a sex worker, so they can fuck. I want to be wrong.
The bartender is sympathetic to Wren and sneaks her some real whiskey instead of synth. Wren really likes it.
Wren then tries to get the intel she needs by asking the bartender for off the books work, but fails because she can't tell Shenise, the brothel madam, how she got her name. Wren is in a pickle! How will she get out of it? She won't, because Cross just walked in and the chapter is now over.
Fourth Wing also would do this all the time--have Xaden show up to rescue Violet and then immediately end the chapter to create fake suspense. Why spend so much time telling us how great Wren is if she is never going to do anything?
Again, I don't understand why they didn't start with fitness testing for these recruits. Either only allow people who are physically capable of the work required or test them all at the start so you can get them up to speed. It's wild that we're only a few weeks from the end of training and now the officers are noticed that some of their elite recruits aren't strong enough.
And also, I don't understand how any recruit could enter an elite military training program and not assume they would need to do physically strenuous things.
Lyddie, on the other hand…Poor thing barely made it half a mile before she was gasping. When I poked her in the side to speed her up, she glared at me and said, “I’m here for Intelligence, not to join some sadistic running unit.” The words were spoken on a wheeze, making me laugh.
Like...what? She just assumed she could get a desk job immediately? In an elite military strike force? Even fucking Fourth Wing understood this and had a separate scribe quadrant.
So apparently there are different subsections within Silver Block and Silver Elite is just the name of the fieldwork unit. But this is the first time in the fucking book we have had clarity on the structure of the military, and up until this point it seemed like everyone was training to be in Silver Elite, and the author's insistent on the most generic naming schemes possible is not helping. But I stand by my complaint. It is silly for Lyddie to think that if her goal is to be in Intelligence she won't have to undergo any physical testing, because that's a standard part of military basic training.
Unfortunately...Cross is now here. So we have to pause this hackneyed exposition so Wren can be horny about him.
Wren blames her "stupid fucking heart" which is insane because these two have not had a single moment of genuine romance in the book so far.
And even worse, guess who else is here? It's Jordan? Who is Jordan? I didn't remember either, don't worry--it's the guy she was banging in the first chapter. He is, of course, still into her and convinced of her innocence. As a reminder, this guy fucked her one time several weeks ago. But he is still besotted with her, because, you know, she's the protagonist.
I assume this interaction is just here so Cross can be jealous.
Now, back to training. Undercover operations are starting. All the recruits are assigned a new identity which they have two hours to memorize. Each of them will have a handler in the field with them, and of course, Wren is assigned to Cross.
I assume that these aren't real operations and that this is an exercise meant to prepare them for the real deal, but I also would not be surprised if it were otherwise because this book is stupid.
Wren's operation is to get intel out of a brothel owner, and she has to go into the brothel to get info under the guise of a woman looking for work. Now, I am going to predict that this is a set up for Cross to be a client and her to be a sex worker, so they can fuck. I want to be wrong.
I make a show of glancing around uncertainly. Rub my arms in a self-conscious gesture. Drawing a few stares that I pretend not to see. The dress I chose for tonight’s op is short but not too short—the hem hovers above my knees. It’s sexy but not too sexy—the V neckline shows only a hint of cleavage. I’ve decided my alter ego is a blend of racy and modest, and this sleeveless dove-gray dress hugs my figure in all the right places without revealing too much.One of the frustrating things about bad first person POV is that authors will withhold info we really should know to create suspense, and therefore miss opportunities to do interesting things with their characters. See, Francis has not yet revealed to us what backstory Wren had to memorize, and we didn't get to see her get geared up for her mission in real time. This theoretically creates suspense, but means that we miss out on actually getting to see Wren demonstrate her skills in real time. This book desperately needs scenes where Wren actually has skills besides shooting, because so far she has been extremely stupid.
I walk up to the bar carrying my evening bag. A slinky black thing containing the comm Hirai gave me on the base when I signed out my earpiece. I slide onto a stool, shifting awkwardly as I cross my legs.
The bartender is sympathetic to Wren and sneaks her some real whiskey instead of synth. Wren really likes it.
Wren then tries to get the intel she needs by asking the bartender for off the books work, but fails because she can't tell Shenise, the brothel madam, how she got her name. Wren is in a pickle! How will she get out of it? She won't, because Cross just walked in and the chapter is now over.
Fourth Wing also would do this all the time--have Xaden show up to rescue Violet and then immediately end the chapter to create fake suspense. Why spend so much time telling us how great Wren is if she is never going to do anything?
