I’m back in Westwind on my readthrough and Ryba continues to be a very compelling character, even though we never directly see her thoughts. Where does her misandry come from? Did she already feel that way before the shift to the Recluce universe, and if so why, or is it something that’s grown in response to her experiences running Westwind?

Both. Her experiences as a Sybran commander made her wary of men in power, and Candaran males are far, far worse in their treatment of women. And when women will risk beatings, floggings, and death trying to get to a refuge (Westwind) in the middle of one of the least hospitable mountain heights in Candar, that does have a tendency to reinforce Ryba’s skepticism about men.