While the world has focused on the epic love story of Cleopatra and Marc Antony, little has been written about their children, who were left to the mercy of their father’s enemy, Octavian Caesar, after their parents’ deaths. Michelle Moran, author of “Nefertiti” and “The Heretic Queen,” revisits ancient Egypt to tell their story. Twins Selene and Alexander are brought to Rome in chains, their futures uncertain. Surrounded by secrecy and danger, the children grow up witnesses to the brutality of Rome as seen from within a gilded cage of Octvian — later called Augustus — Caesar’s inner circle.  Moran skillfully weaves into her story plenty of political history without ever weighing down the story, which is fast-paced, intriguing, and beautifully written. She has a knack for bringing long-lost historical figures to life, and “Cleopatra’s Daughter” is full of characters who ring true. This moving and vivid novel brings the reader back in time to the brutal and stunning realities of ancient Eqypt and Rome.

$25 at Amazon.