Of all of the Pathfinder Chronicles volumes I have (which is most of them), I found the Guide to Absalom to be the most uneven in quality. There are plenty of good ideas in there for running a campaign in the city, but I found that parts of the product didn't live up to other parts.
The cartography, in particular, falls short. The city-wide map offers little to support some of the features of the city - flooding in the Puddles, the Beast in the Docks, Misery Row. The city map, while it has little buildings dotting all over it, fails to include much in the way of major landmarks, either identified or implied.

This book really, really made me want to run a campaign in Absalom. Lots of really interesting, internally consistent tid bits about Absalom.

A book this size can't be super detailed, but there is a whole lot more to this book than we have seen about the city before, including enough information to pretty much run an entire campaign just on the Isle of Kortos.

This is another high quality product from Paizo. I would rate it 4.5 out of 5 but will round up this time.

The background of the city as well as the current state of play is surperb. It makes me want to jump in there straight away and play. Have not participated in the PFS yet, this book makes me what to get involved in the politics and excitement. I should also mention that there is a small amount of artwork but what is present is up to scratch.

There are no player options in this book and I would recommend it to any DM. Saying that, there is plenty for a player to get out of the book for character background and knowledge to enhance RP.

The literary genius of Paizo is once again brought to the forefront via this epic masterpiece. A triumph of the written word! My only regret is that it wasn't long enough.

If there's one thing Paizo excels at, it's making products that feel familiar and classic, while at the same time being new and original. Guide to Absalom is no different.

The massive realm stacks up quite well to the great fantasy cities of past days, such as Waterdeep, Sharn, and Greyhawk City, yet it manages to have its own unique flavor. A melting pot in the truest sense, Absalom's citizens come from all parts of the world, and the place is by no means a classical, European-style setting. In fact, it feels quite a bit more like ancient Greece or Rome, with a native population of harpies, minotaurs, and centaurs, gads of political intrigue (et tu Hugen?), and even a legendary labyrinth that (may) exist beneath it.

The Guide covers a gamut of locations, from mighty cathedrals and fortresses, to kite shops and clockwork centipede-ship-classrooms. We even get an old fashioned Running of the Bulls... except with less bulls and more gorgons. And while there must be a hundred interesting places to every one detailed, we still have plenty of info to get a feel for the metropolis.

My only problem with GtA is that none of the NPCs are given stats or alignments. I suppose this gives a DM more flexibility when it comes to customizing the city as his/her own, but I personally like having an idea of a given character's morality and power level. That small complaint aside, for being a 64-page sourcebook, GtA is an excellent tool for any DM.