Apparently, the manuscript got so long, he and his publisher just decided to split the book, move some of it into the next book (A DANCE WITH DRAGONS), and get FEAST out ASAP.
I’m really looking forward to this. If you haven’t read the first three books (A GAME OF THRONES, A STORM OF SWORDS, and A CLASH OF KINGS) do so, especially if you have a cynical view of huge-volume fantasy series. This one started out looking like a fairly straightforward fantasy take on the War of the Roses, but has really impressed me. I highly recommend them.
I recently picked up the first volume for a quarter in a used book sale – It’s on my short list of fiction to read. I really enjoyed playing the board game, and a demo game with the CCG was very promising. I realize that’s hardly the most normal way to get into a book, but I figure if the book’s good enough to inspire two good games, it’s probably going to be great.