Posted 16 October 2014 - 04:10 PM
There are four significant female characters in Bakker's books so far:
Esmenet, the former whore who made a long lasting relationship with Achamanian and then married Kelhus. Is now queen and dealing with the horrors of a psychotic family and running an unstable empire on her own. Extremely smart, yet emotionally fragile from having had an incredibly difficult life and no real stability at any point beyond her later prostitute days.
Serwe, the first wife of Kelhus and former captive of the Scylvendi. Was perhaps the innocent lamb of the books so far and eventually met a grisly end due to the evil Consult assassins.
Mimara, the daughter of Esmenet who was sold into slavery to avoid a death by famine. Was a slave for many years and then became a prostitute, then was found and brought to the imperial palace by soldiers ordered to do so by Esmenet. Now resents Esmenet considerably, went to go learn magic from Achamanian, became part of the brutal Slog to Ishual and developed the Judging Eye - a massively powerful piece of magic ability.
Psatma Nannaferi/Sharacinth, the Yatwerian cultists. They are initially the means by which the White Luck Warrior enters the story, but then Psatma gets some sort of rejuvenation thing from her god and becomes a prophet/significant power in her own right.
There are other female characters, but they aren't significant shapers of the story (Anasurimbor Serwe being my chief example). I don't think any of these four women are misogynistic portrayals - they are fully realized characters who both act with volition and have it taken away from them in unusual ways that Bakker explores without being gratuitous or cheap. Bakker explores how these women deal with moments (or more than just moments) of physical powerlessness, power, riches, poverty, incredibly difficult choices and politics/religion/war. He doesn't leave them to be simple manipulation targets - excepting perhaps Serwe, who had little volition in anything in her short life. He also includes many males who are the targets of manipulation or are stripped of power/volition.
I haven't read Neuropath or Disciple of the Dog though, so I can't comment on those.
I do think that Bakker could use some more female characters in his Prince of Nothing/Aspect Emperor works, but it's hard to get that going in a world that's essentially medieval and completely at world-consuming war with a bunch of aliens and monsters.
I survived the Permian and all I got was this t-shirt.