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2183
The year is 2183.
100 years after an interstellar collision stops Earth from spinning, 15-year-old Ing discovers a metropolis hidden deep below the sea. Complete with science labs, a chapel, and a military academy, Ironhold appears to have everything she desires.
Ing’s dream of joining the revered Swimmers is dashed when an incident at sea lands her in a world she could never imagine. Faced with a civilization advanced far beyond that of her decimated village on land, she is challenged in ways that thrill—and frighten.
When a fabled octopus secretly communicates with her, Ing realizes the populations of those in Ironhold and back home on land are in danger. Ultimately, with time running out, she must decide the fate of those still alive on a planet facing an imminent new peril.
100 years after an interstellar collision stops Earth from spinning, 15-year-old Ing discovers a metropolis hidden deep below the sea. Complete with science labs, a chapel, and a military academy, Ironhold appears to have everything she desires.
Ing’s dream of joining the revered Swimmers is dashed when an incident at sea lands her in a world she could never imagine. Faced with a civilization advanced far beyond that of her decimated village on land, she is challenged in ways that thrill—and frighten.
When a fabled octopus secretly communicates with her, Ing realizes the populations of those in Ironhold and back home on land are in danger. Ultimately, with time running out, she must decide the fate of those still alive on a planet facing an imminent new peril.
309 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2025
2 people want to read
About the author
Laurel McHargue
22 books46 followersHi!
I was raised in Braintree, MA, but ended up living high in Colorado's Rocky Mountains! As a graduate of the United States Military Academy in 1983, I live life in a constant quest for challenge and adventure. My stories are about life--real and imagined!
I believe a life filled with challenge will never be boring.
My publications include:
2183: dystopian sci-fi fantasy, my latest novel (published 1 NOV 2025 in 3 formats!)
DARK EBB: GRIM TALES, Volume 2. Twenty more dark short stories with original artwork.
QUACK: My first children's picture book, written and illustrated by me, and based on my experiences with raising ducklings from day-old to egg-laying! I plan a 3-book series.
Peace by Piece: 10 Lessons from a Jigsaw Puzzle! Co-created with my counselor friend, Nadine Collier. A fresh perspective on timeless life lessons, and how my experience with a jigsaw puzzle reminded me of them. 2021 CAL Book Award Finalist and CIPA EVVY Bronze Award for Inspiration!
DARK EBB: GRIM TALES, 19 dark short stories with original artwork. 2020 CIPA EVVY Bronze Award.
Crow-Magnum. A short story about twin girls, a mother's death, and mysterious crows.
Waterwight Breathe: Book III of the Waterwight Series. I earned a CIPA EVVY Merit Award.
Waterwight Flux: Book II of the Waterwight Series. It earned a CIPA EVVY Merit Award.
Waterwight. (NOW IN AUDIOBOOK FORMAT!) This YA fantasy adventure is compared to Neil Gaiman's novel Coraline by a KIRKUS reviewer. It earned a CIPA EVVY Silver Award for Fiction/Fantasy.
Hunt for Red Meat: (love stories). Join me and my husband for three years of hunting (but not ever killing) the wily elk in Colorado. First in my BLOOK series (my blog book stories). There's a crazy fishing story too!
The Hare, Raising Truth. When was the last time you read an adult fairy tale? This Grimm's Fairy Tale / The Twilight Zone mashup is not for children!
"Miss?" Based on my experience as a first-year teacher, "Miss?" is a loosely fictionalized novel. It earned the IndieReader Approved Award.
Haikus Can Amuse: 366 Haiku Starters. A gift journal. Finish the 2nd and 3rd lines of a haiku when given the first line, and write down your inspiration!
Hai CLASS ku. A 90-day spinoff of Haikus Can Amuse, this workbook provides a semester's worth of creative prompts. An alternative to Sudoku and crossword books!
My goal is to author as many books as possible in genres of every type!
I also enjoy acting.
Visit me on my blog and sign up for my mid-monthly newsletter at: www.leadvillelaurel.com
and on my podcast: Conversations with Laurel, where I tell stories, interview people, and discuss the human condition!
I was raised in Braintree, MA, but ended up living high in Colorado's Rocky Mountains! As a graduate of the United States Military Academy in 1983, I live life in a constant quest for challenge and adventure. My stories are about life--real and imagined!
I believe a life filled with challenge will never be boring.
My publications include:
2183: dystopian sci-fi fantasy, my latest novel (published 1 NOV 2025 in 3 formats!)
DARK EBB: GRIM TALES, Volume 2. Twenty more dark short stories with original artwork.
QUACK: My first children's picture book, written and illustrated by me, and based on my experiences with raising ducklings from day-old to egg-laying! I plan a 3-book series.
Peace by Piece: 10 Lessons from a Jigsaw Puzzle! Co-created with my counselor friend, Nadine Collier. A fresh perspective on timeless life lessons, and how my experience with a jigsaw puzzle reminded me of them. 2021 CAL Book Award Finalist and CIPA EVVY Bronze Award for Inspiration!
DARK EBB: GRIM TALES, 19 dark short stories with original artwork. 2020 CIPA EVVY Bronze Award.
Crow-Magnum. A short story about twin girls, a mother's death, and mysterious crows.
Waterwight Breathe: Book III of the Waterwight Series. I earned a CIPA EVVY Merit Award.
Waterwight Flux: Book II of the Waterwight Series. It earned a CIPA EVVY Merit Award.
Waterwight. (NOW IN AUDIOBOOK FORMAT!) This YA fantasy adventure is compared to Neil Gaiman's novel Coraline by a KIRKUS reviewer. It earned a CIPA EVVY Silver Award for Fiction/Fantasy.
Hunt for Red Meat: (love stories). Join me and my husband for three years of hunting (but not ever killing) the wily elk in Colorado. First in my BLOOK series (my blog book stories). There's a crazy fishing story too!
The Hare, Raising Truth. When was the last time you read an adult fairy tale? This Grimm's Fairy Tale / The Twilight Zone mashup is not for children!
"Miss?" Based on my experience as a first-year teacher, "Miss?" is a loosely fictionalized novel. It earned the IndieReader Approved Award.
Haikus Can Amuse: 366 Haiku Starters. A gift journal. Finish the 2nd and 3rd lines of a haiku when given the first line, and write down your inspiration!
Hai CLASS ku. A 90-day spinoff of Haikus Can Amuse, this workbook provides a semester's worth of creative prompts. An alternative to Sudoku and crossword books!
My goal is to author as many books as possible in genres of every type!
I also enjoy acting.
Visit me on my blog and sign up for my mid-monthly newsletter at: www.leadvillelaurel.com
and on my podcast: Conversations with Laurel, where I tell stories, interview people, and discuss the human condition!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 3, 2026
2183 by Laurel McHargue drops you into a future that’s strange, broken, and immediately compelling. Set a century after Earth literally stops spinning, the story follows Ing, a fifteen-year-old scraping by on the surface who stumbles into Ironhold—a massive, hidden city beneath the sea that feels almost too good to be true.
2183 is easy to sink into, full of big ideas without losing sight of Ing as a character. It’s a solid choice if you like science fiction that mixes discovery, danger, and tough choices about who gets saved when the world is already on the brink.
2183 is easy to sink into, full of big ideas without losing sight of Ing as a character. It’s a solid choice if you like science fiction that mixes discovery, danger, and tough choices about who gets saved when the world is already on the brink.
November 1, 2025
In a post-apocalyptic world where the Earth no longer rotates, Ing believes she was meant to join the male-dominated Swimmers on the ocean. Instead, her destiny lies beneath the waves, and the stakes couldn’t be higher!
Echoing the tension and heart of Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave, McHargue’s tale blends wonder, peril, and hope into a thrilling exploration of survival and what it truly means to be human when the world stands still.
Echoing the tension and heart of Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave, McHargue’s tale blends wonder, peril, and hope into a thrilling exploration of survival and what it truly means to be human when the world stands still.
January 6, 2026
A fun book by Laurel. I'm not big on sci-fi, but I did enjoy this book and of course the characters.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews