The Desert Rose by Suzanne Broad
Word Count: 5150 words
Critique type preference: In Person
Author Email: za*******@*****il.com
Content warnings:
- Blood
- Death/Dying
- Violence (gratuitous / extreme)
Author Notes:
This is the prologue and first scene of chapter 1 of a longer fantasy work. I’ve considered all the usual questions about whether this book needs a prologue, whether it’s the right pov and whether it should be cut much shorter, and the answer is – this is the way it needs to be. There are strong reasons why I’ve written it this way.
Questions it would be helpful to consider:
- Does the prologue engage you, particularly the beginning>
- Overall, do the prologue and first scene strike the right balance between providing enough detail to follow what’s happening, whilst leaving enough to keep you interested?
- Overall, do you get enough sense of the setting and the world?
- Does the beginning of chapter 1 make you want to keep reading after the prologue and does it work as the beginning of the main story?
Thanks for reading!
Notes to organisers:
I’ve had the prologue critiqued by the group before, but a long time ago and it’s been substantially revised
Submitted: 11 June 2026
Status: New
Last updated: 12 June 2026 at 00:28 by Suzanne Broad