Crance Character Analysis in Glass Sword

Crance is a large, muscled thief and smuggler from Harbor Bay. He belongs to a Red gang called the Mariners, allies of Farley and the Scarlet Guard. Crance is also friendly with Shade, whom he once helped escape from the Choke. When Mare and her friends seek the Mariners’ help getting into Harbor Bay, Crance intends to betray them so he can receive the reward Maven has offered for Mare’s capture. However, Crance decides he’s unwilling to betray someone who has the same red blood as him. Crance aids Mare and her friends in Harbor Bay instead, recruits Ada Wallace, joins Mare’s team at the Notch, and helps supply the Notch with food, weapons, and other resources.

Crance Quotes in Glass Sword

The Glass Sword quotes below are all either spoken by Crance or refer to Crance. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Oppression, Cruelty, and Inequality Theme Icon

I’m the lightning girl, and now I have too many ideals to count. Freedom, revenge, liberty, everything that fuels the sparks within me, and the resolve that keeps me going.

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 188

Explanation and Analysis:

When Crance reveals his plan to betray Mare and her friends on their way into Harbor Bay, Mare remembers what it was like to be a thief who only cares about money and her own survival; she used to be the same kind of person Crance is now. However, she doesn’t lead the life of a criminal anymore. Now, Mare embraces her identity as “the lightning girl.” To Mare, claiming that identity means she must put aside selfish concerns and prioritize her “ideals” with a firm “resolve” instead. In other words, the “lightning girl” should exist for noble causes, not for herself. Mare’s conviction that she must focus entirely on her ideals puts immense pressure on her to achieve lofty successes all on her own. It also leads her to believe that pursuing her own desires is selfish, which in turn makes her neglect her needs and wants.

Notably, Mare states that her main ideals are “Freedom, revenge, liberty.” Freedom and liberty together refer to Mare’s desire to end the oppression Reds and newbloods face. She wants Reds and newbloods to be able to live safely and openly, free from Silvers’ cruelty. Equally, Mare desires “revenge” against Maven and the Silvers who have harmed her and her people. To Mare, revenge is as right and essential as liberty, and justice can’t be complete without vengeance against her enemies.

But there are friends I would trade, lives I would forsake, for my own victories. I’ve done it before. It isn’t hard to let people die when their deaths gives life to something else.

Related Characters: Mare Barrow (speaker), Crance, King Maven Calore

Page Number and Citation: 193

Explanation and Analysis:

Crance Character Timeline in Glass Sword

The timeline below shows where the character Crance appears in Glass Sword. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Betrayal, Distrust, and Isolation Theme Icon

...signal to the newcomers, who turn out to be the Mariners—Farley’s contacts from Harbor Bay. Crance leads them, although Farley says she was supposed to meet someone else. Crance already knows... (full context)

Shade recounts how Crance once helped him escape the Choke. Shade and Crance seem like they were friendly in... (full context)

Crance announces that Maven has blocked the underground tunnels near Ocean Hill, the royal palace in... (full context)

To get more information about the Mariners, Mare asks Crance why he joined the Scarlet Guard. Crance remains suspiciously silent, and Farley realizes that Crance... (full context)

Crance reveals that everyone—from Silver soldiers to Red smugglers—is hunting Mare. The Mariners prepare for a... (full context)

Underground, Mare, Cal, Shade, and Farley flee as more sections of tunnel collapse. Crance helps them navigate and escape through a service door leading to Paltry Place. According to... (full context)

Mare asks Crance why he’s helping them. Moments ago, he planned to betray them, but now he’s seemingly... (full context)

...Mare and the others reach the top level of the Paltry, Seaskulls spot and attack Crance, angry that a Mariner is trespassing on their territory. Shade gets caught in the conflict... (full context)

...has murdered in that time. Kilorn reassures her that Shade, Farley, Nix, and Ada Wallace—whom Crance rescued—have been continuing the search for newbloods. When Mare gets angry that Nix and Ada... (full context)

...at Kilorn, but the new scars Maven gave her hurt too much. Cal mentions that Crance is also helping to recruit newbloods. Mare is surprised that Crance has joined their cause... (full context)

...sees. Meanwhile, Kilorn hunts for food for everyone living at the Notch, and Farley and Crance keep the camp supplied with other resources. Unfortunately, Mare can’t save every newblood, and she... (full context)

Mare goes on a recruitment mission in a town called Templyn with Ada, Crance, Nix, and Harrick—a recent newblood recruit. Cal and Shade have stayed behind at the Notch.... (full context)

Crance drives their cart to a house with red curtains and a lit candle at the... (full context)

Leaving Crance with the cart, Farley leads Mare, Nix, and Harrick to the Marcher’s house. Harrick changes... (full context)

Crance Character Analysis

Crance Quotes in Glass Sword

Chapter 13 Quotes

Chapter 14 Quotes

Crance Character Timeline in Glass Sword