In this early anthology of the Borderlands' books, the authors create a shared world where nothing is exactly as it seems. A few of the stories refer back to ones in earlier anthologies but I was able to start reading and not feel lost due to the gifts of the authors. At the heart of the Borderlands' world is music and the struggle to find a place that you fit and these themes run throughout all of the stories in this anthology. The young humans and elves try to find their way and deal with gang trouble, the allure of drugs, the promise of what seems beautiful and in the end have to choose what they wish for in their lives. Any reader of Urban Fantasy should read these early anthologies because while some of the technology has changed, the teenagers at the heart of the tales haven't. ( )

I swear I read this book in High School, but in 91, I would have been in collage. Anyway, I loved it, it was the first time really that I read a universe where there was magic and it was set in the modern world. I so wanted to turn a corner and find myself in Bordertown. I just don't think it was ever anywhere near the Deep South. It also set me on the path of fanfic. I can't remember how many stories I wrote set in Bordertown, or a place like it, and then tore up. There are still one or two that I still have, somewhere. And with the renewed interest, I may just have to dig through my boxes and find my copy to reread. ( )