Claudio understands expectations.
He has met and exceeded every demand his family has made. Every expectation but one. Claudio excelled in his magical training, made a good marriage, had the desired two children, and now moves among Albion's elite with grace and courtesy. But his work during the Second World War changed him and opened the doors to a new line of work. One his mother does not approve of.
Matty cares about the consequences.
At the beginning of 1950, he has returned to Albion after five years working behind the scenes at the Nuremberg trials, trying to eke out whatever shards of justice and documentation might be possible. It's broken his spirit in dozens of ways. Matty is determined to build a new life, throwing himself into administrative work in Albion's Ministry.
When Matty takes over a key administrative meeting that includes Claudio, the two of them find they share not only several goals but a delight and commitment to doing things better. But when Claudio finds out that Alexander, the most senior member of the Council, is finally retiring, his world is turned upside down again. The question is how to go forward, what choices Claudio and Matty are brave enough to make, and what it will mean for everyone around them.
Brave Truth is a M/M romance about deciding who you want to be as an adult, reaching for the impossible, and discovering desires you never knew you had. It is the fourth book in the Liminal Mysteries series, exploring the impact of the Second World War on the magical community of Britain. Brave Truth can be read in any order, though many of the characters here appear in other books earlier in their lives (especially Illusion of a Boar).
One character is dealing with moral injury and panic attacks due to work after World War II focused on details of war crimes and genocide. The focus is on the impact of the judicial and administrative work, with no specifics about particular wartime events on the page.