Tom hadn't wanted the apprenticeship . . . but having accepted, he at least had to try to be worthy . . . Powerful magic saves Tom's life but weakens the Guardian of the phoenix egg, the tiger Mr. Hu. The egg can bring peace to the world -- or its destruction. Only the tiger's apprentice, Tom, can now keep the egg safe. But Tom is just a beginner at magic and is more likely to make a mistake than save the world.

So Tom, Mr. Hu, and their motley crew of friends flee to the underwater dragon kingdom with the egg. They soon discover that nothing is as it seems and an unstoppable evil is advancing. When the egg is stolen, Tom and his friends must risk everything to recover it.

In this second book of The Tiger's Apprentice trilogy, two-time Newbery Honor author Laurence Yep returns to the magical world hidden within our own, where good and evil battle for control and the test of a friendship can decide the fate of both worlds.