Oh, I read this when it came out! I was young enough (just out of college) that I didn't have the critical apparatus to articulate anything about it besides "wow that was a LOT of torture," and I'm sure the whump was a selling point to me at the time :)

THEY'RE ALL PRIESTS.

I laughed out loud at this. I'm gonna have to find more opportunities to use this line, like HOOKS FOR HANDS.