The protagonist is a teenage boy living outside the city with his wealthy and greatly respected father. He travels into the city daily to study at a prestigious school run by his mother.
One of his brothers needs a floating wheelchair. There is lots of living in the desert in tents in the book. It was part of a series.
Marriages in this society are temporary for a year. Some couples renew their vows with the same person year after year. Many do not. A rich arrogant man refers to a house inside the city as his. It is pointed out to him that legally men cannot own houses in this city. The house belongs to his wife. He says, technically yes, but she is always going to keep being married to me.
The protagonist has several older brothers. One of them is an actor, his name begins with M. Some people try to trick the actor into acting a part in a play that makes fun of his own father. They hope he is ignorant of the current event concerning his father as he would never intentionally publicly mock his well respected patriarch. To begin with he is ignorant and it looks like the plan will work. He finds out before the play is performed and is furious with them!
There is a law that all farms outside the city have to have a room for any travellers to sleep in, accessible from the outside of the surrounding wall. Most people do the minimum required by law, but his father does more and supplies extras such as a hot meal and comfortable bedding.
