She is visited by the king's son Prince Kir, hoping for the wise woman's aid in curing his own haunting obsession with the sea.

A chained sea dragon appears, the wandering magician Lyo arrives in the village in response, and Kir's sea-dreams grow even more tortured.

Peri's efforts to help Kir eventually lead to her undertaking a strange journey into the depths, uncovering a tragic secret from the king's past and the true identity of the sea dragon, and a dawning realization of her own power.

Publishers Weekly writes "[b]eautifully sustained metaphors and an even tone make this fantasy, like McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, a pleasure to read.

"[2] Susan L. Rogers in School Library Journal calls the book "[a]n enchanting fantasy that is tinged with realism and romance.

"[3] Ann F. Howey, in an in-depth article in Journal of the Fantastic Arts, notes that "The Changeling Sea is not the only one of McKillip's texts to employ feminist strategies, but it is significant that it does to for a younger audience."