The Tiger's Apprentice

The Tiger's Apprentice is an action-adventure fantasy novel by American author Laurence Yep. It was published in 2003 as the first in The Tiger's Apprentice trilogy. This story inserts ancient Chinese mythology into modern life in San Francisco. The story follows the boy Tom as he becomes the magical apprentice of the tiger Mr. Hu. Together with a band of mythological misfits, their job is to protect the ancient phoenix from Vatten and the Clan of Nine who wish to use its powers for evil.