Just finished reading my copy.   Overall its useful for DM's wondering what's changed and people looking for fluff about the realms but players and new DM's can completely avoid it.  Theres a few rituals and items, but nothing a player can actually use as they are used by the high level NPC's.   Even new player options like Spellscars just say to refer to the upcoming players guide instead.  The book probably could of been more accuratly been called "A quick overview of the changes to the realms"  as its not anywhere near a campaign guide.  There's not enough material for a new realms DM to run much of anything besides the intro adventure in the beginning.  Existing DM's who have other realms material will be better off as they can draw on the extensive supply of existing stuff.    

I liked the old realms and I think I will like the new realms just as much.  Unfortunatly this book I don't like.   Not enough meat in it for anyone as far as I can tell.  It really feels like you're paying 40$ or so just to see what's been randomly changed by WotC.   It's a really expensive patch rather than a useful sourcebook.

 

Just finished my second read through of the book and I'm liking it even less.  Each region isn't detailed enough to do much of anything beyond use the basic plot hooks from that area.  The plot hooks are just small blurbs that you could make up on your own in seconds.   The rest of the sections just isn't really good.  The foes are ok I guess, but that's about it.

  I just read about how they want to make most of the past events over the 100 years a mystery.   Maybe that's why the book is so vague.  Still its maddening to not know what has happened to so many people and areas.   Even things that are clearly changed don't really give any details on how or what the changes are.  Uugh!