Thinking out loud about Symphony 5:

For all the pomp and circumstance and Norse deities, the main emotional conflict of Clairon Call was essentially, "the abusive ex has shown up at the dream wedding, is he going to spoil the occasion?". Something that wouldn't be out of place in a soap opera. This is then brilliantly resolved with the story essentially going "screw that, we're a space opera, let's go have space battles instead, in space!"

Then we have a chapter of Space Battles In Space, and then the wedding happens successfully without any further soap opera drama.

And then, well... we move to Cartoon China, and we have the honeymoon, and the baby birth, and then house planning and construction, and meeting the neighbours... Sure, it's all wrapped up in magical and exotic and travelogue, and there's the plot thread of the fire-throwing mafia simmering away in the background, but it's been a while since we've had any Space Battles In Space and I kind of miss those.