Ha ha, so true--that was not the best breakup. But (I'm not sure if you read the novel or not--you might not have mentioned it)--Kivran does turn out to be a really nice (if sometimes irritating) ex, and they do remain friends.

Yes, it's fun to play around with subcultures within the greater Kelisavian culture. Reian is especially an odd man out, since his tribe is so damn isolated from all the others. Even though he's accepted as part of their people, he's practically an outsider in some ways.

I'm glad you thought it made the idea more interesting. Thank you! It was fun to play around with.