Again, like Races of Stone, this a good solid book with many virtues. It brings out aspects of the three main races nicely (the dilettantism and longevity of the elves and its effect on their culture, the generally larcenous and nomadic lifestyle of the halflings [definitely NOT Tolkien-esqe hobbits), the open society of the the raptorans). The raptorans are perhaps less compelling than the goliaths in Races of Stone, if only because there are already loads of bird-like races already (kenku, aarakora, avariel) but maybe that's just me. (On the other hand, I was flirting with the idea of a bird-like race for a campaign, and they are readily adaptable.)

The races dealt with in less detail are less compelling, but it does provide monster progression levels from 1st for the gnolls and centaurs, which are useful, and also example NPCs (the latter was not provided in Races of Stone).

The prestige classes are set out in considerable detail (with details on combat techniques, role-playing ideas, adventure hooks and so on - a new format that WoTC are using in all their recent publications [although not Races of Stone]). Some are rather good fun (like the Arcane Hierophant, an option for wizard/druids or sorcerer/druids, and the Champion of Corellon Larethian, a warrior prestige class that meshes heavy armour with mobility and elegance) although others are less compelling. (A slightly duff note is hit inadvertantly for a non-US reader when one prestige class is described as "the raptoran equivalent of the colonial Minutemen, the Texas Rangers and the 101st Airborne all rolled into one" - a little bit of American cultural imperialism there? Certainly pretty meaningless to me, although the context is clear enough.)

The character options section works quite well, much like in Races of Stone, and the equipment section is also quite good fun. This includes the various elven blade types (the lightblade, thinblade and courtblade - exotic weapons which work like shortswords, longswords and two-handed swords respectively, only with extra threat ranges and being amenable to use with Weapon Finesse) and the halfling war sling and skiprock (none of these new, but the first time in 3.5E).

Again, like Races of Stone, a good book (perhaps not quite as good, but still four stars) with a lot of worthwhile information that can be used straight or adapted as seems fitting.