Tiger

Five Ancestors #1

by Jeff Stone

“ Tiger clips along at a lightning pace!”—Eoin Colfer

Twelve-year-old Fu and his temple brothers Malao, Seh, Hok, and Long don’t know who their parents were. Raised from infancy by their grandmaster, they think of their temple as their home and their fellow warrior monks as their family. Then one terrible night, the temple is destroyed by an army led by a former monk named Ying, whose heart is bent on revenge. Fu and his brothers are the only survivors. Charged by their grandmaster to uncover the secrets of their past, the five flee into the countryside and go their separate ways. Somehow, Grandmaster has promised, their pasts are connected to Ying’s. Understanding that the past is the key to shaping the future, the first book in the series follows Fu as he struggles to find out more and prove himself in the process. Fu’s name literally means “tiger,” for he is the youngest-ever master of the fierce fighting style modeled after that animal.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

JEFF STONE is the bestselling author of the International Reading Association (IRA) and American Library Association (ALA) award-winning, middle-grade, kung fu action/adventure series, THE FIVE ANCESTORS, and its follow-up trilogy, THE FIVE ANCESTORS: OUT OF THE ASHES. Published by Penguin Random House, there are 10 novels in total with nearly 700K copies sold in 14 languages. Audio versions by Listening Library/Penguin Random House Audio. Film rights previously optioned by Nickelodeon and Likely Story.

A veteran writing coach and former college writing instructor with 30+ years experience, Jeff has facilitated more than 150 writing workshops at universities, educator conferences, and K-12 schools on three continents.

Like his main characters, Jeff was an orphan. Unlike them, he was adopted into the very best family imaginable. He spent 15 years searching for his birthmother before finding her. He found his birthfather a year later.

A Detroit native, Jeff is the proud father of an adult daughter and adult son. His former wife is from Hong Kong, where they had a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony in the mid-90’s. His immersion in Chinese culture and shared ethnic experiences with their children informs his writing, as does his training in animal-style kung fu.

In 2005, Jeff traveled to Shaolin Temple in China with ambassadors from the Shaolin-Do Association and was given the HUGE honor of testing for his black belt in Shaolin-Do Kung Fu at Shaolin Temple. His highly interactive, kung fu storytelling school and library presentations are unforgettable.

Reviews

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I forced my way through a lot of this and finally skimmed my way to the end. I see a lot of high scores here so all I can say is...I'm happy for you.

This is a YA book...that stands for "Young Adult". The emphasis here is on the "Young". This book it seems to me is aimed largely at preteen to young teen boys. It's full of fights, bodily fluids (including but not restricted to mucus and feces)... The dialogue, well it's really sort of elevating it some to call it dialogue but there you go. Anyway the dialogue really speaks to (get it, "speaks to"?) that age sector.

The story revolves around a group of youths who have been orphaned and then raised in a monastery as martial monks. Each has been named after the style or fighting form they have mastered (mastered younger than anyone else of course). There is a series of books each named after the monk it follows, this one is about Fu, Tiger.

Fu is the type of character I call "the rebel without a clue". He starts out loud mouthed, rude, pushy...disrespectful, in other words there's no way he could have been/become a martial arts master in a monastery. Over the length of this book we watch Fu "mature" a bit and change for the better...at least a little. That is probably one of the more positive things about this book.

So, sorry I didn't like the book. It's written on a pretty simple level has "pros" for a very young audience and was at times like "reading" a martial arts "B" movie. I don't plan to follow the series up.

I think younger readers (I'd say especially boys, probably) would like these. Try them, see what you think. Not for me.

[Jeff Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um, I wrote it. :-)

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

As much as this book intrigued me, i think it was a bit too young for me. It seems to me that it would be more aimed for young boys who are interested in fighting.

I loved how each personality of the characters were shown in their name and actions by the appropriate words chosen. I must say that the moves involved in the story were really working my imagination as i've never seen or heard about any of them before.

Thus, i am giving it a four-star because the writing and storyline were both excellent.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I adore martial arts. I am a martial artist, and it is just something that has been in my blood from a very young age. My niece and nephew have recently taken up martial arts as well, so I wanted to give this book a listen/read to see if it's something that my niece might enjoy, since it's aimed at her reading level.

There is a lot in here that I think my niece would be able to identify with. We love our Master just as much as the monks in this story love theirs. We would both be able to identify with the idea of doing anything for him, and we'd both identify with the idea of trying to live our lives in accordance with the principles that we learn through our art and through the lessons our Master teaches us. On a mechanical level, we'd both be able to envision the action in this book, because we are martial artists and know some of the moves described.

That said, I found this story to be a tiny bit too, well, Ninjago for my taste. The dialogue is at that level, I think, and there's just a little too much... I don't know the word... Too much "GAAHHH!!! I WILL DEFEAT YOU, YOU EVIL SLIME," going on. Melodrama? Maybe that's the right word.

Sorry to all the males out there who are offended by a female being offended, but I also didn't really like the way in which girls were used in this story. Paraphrasing here, "We shouldn't be hiding in this water barrel like a bunch of scared girls," or "The boys in the village didn't want the girls in the village learning Kung Fu, too," or, "Commander Wu, get down out of that palanquin--do you think you're a princess?!" I realize that this story is supposed to take place in ancient China, and that girls and women were not exactly well regarded at that time. But still--this is a book aimed at kids growing up today. I'm not asking that girls be written into the story (and they weren't in this one), I'm asking that using the female gender in a derogatory way just not be done when it really doesn't serve a purpose to the story. I can deal with it when there is a point to it. And frankly, as a female martial artist, let me just say, that I have knocked a 240 pound man out cold, and more than one large male has felt my blows. I routinely excel in my art, and I've won so many competitions against male competitors that I've lost count. I don't mean to brag, I really don't. My point is, all things considered, in the world of martial arts there is nothing derogatory about the feminine. Martial arts is an equalizer, and the monks in this story would know and respect that, because martial artists are taught to *never* underestimate an opponent. So, this idea of weak, scared, princess-y females is something my niece and I would not identify with, and would not appreciate about this book.

Would I recommend this book to her? Meh. I would certainly have done so if the portrayal of the feminine had been positive, or even completely left out. Will I recommend it to my nephew? Yeah. After he's lost a sparring match to a girl or two. :-)

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this book when I was a kid (and all of the series except for the last book) and I wanted to re-read it because I remember it being fun. It still is! I just finished this and I'm starting the second book, now. It has a good storyline with some good, unique qualities. Overall I would say that it's fun, entertaining, and easy to get into.

[Novia Indaryani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pertama kali lihat cover buku The five ancestor: Tiger, lumayan nyeremin. Bagaimana tidak? Cover nya gambar manusia setengah hewan, ini buku tentang siluman apa? LOL. Tapi Rifda malah nyaranin baca buku ini, katanya bagus. Yang biasa dibilang bagus sama Rifda biasanya suka emang bagus juga.

Buku ini bercerita tengtang biksu dan ilmu beladiri Cina. Ada sebuah perguruan bernama Changzen yang artinya "Kebenaran yang tersembunyi", perguruan tersebut diserang oleh pasukan Kaisar masa itu dan dipimpin oleh Ying, seorang mantan biksu kuil Changzen yang melarikan diri.

Ying yang berarti "elang" dalam bahasa Kanton, menyerang kuil Changzen dengan ribuan pasukan Kaisar dan berhasil membunuh 100 biksu yang berada di kuil tersebut. Ying berniat untuk membalaskan dendamnya kepada Mahaguru (gurunya sendiri) yang ia yakini bahwa Mahaguru adalah orang jahat dan mencuri gulungan Naga.

Fu, Malao, Hok, Long dan Seh saudara seperguruan Ying ternyata berhasil lolos dari maut. Ying mengetahuinya dan berusaha untuk membunuh ke lima saudaranya. Dimata Ying yang telah dipenuhi dendam, ia tidak segan-segan membunuh orang yang dikenalnya dengan cambuk yang dimilikinya.

Buku pertama dari seri The Five Ancestor ini menceritakan petualangan Fu, salah satu dari lima saudara yang ditugaskan Mahaguru untuk membuat Ying berubah menjadi baik.

Masih banyak pertanyaan yang menyelimuti kebenaran sesungguhnya dari cerita dibuku ini.
Kenapa Ying beranggapan Mahaguru itu jahat? Padahal Mahaguru dimata orang lain adalah sosok yang sangat baik dan selalu benar.
Apa masa lalu yang menghubungkan Ying, Fu, Malao, Long, Hok dan Seh?

Silahkan yang lain baca sendiri. Pokoknya ceritanya bagus. Kalimat didalam ceritanya mudah dipahami. Dan gak bikin bosen, yang ada malah ketagihan baca.

[Erika · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book in a thrift store, and after looking taking a good look and not finding anything that gave away what age group the book is written for, I began reading it to my 7 and 5 year old boys. Big mistake. From page 2: a character says, "We shouldn't be hiding like a bunch of girls." Whoa. We stopped reading right there.

This book was written in 2005, which is not that long ago, and that kind of language, putting down girls in a children's book, is totally unnecessary. From reading other reviews I'm gathering that this series is young adult, and not children's. Then that needs to be clear on the back cover or on the copyright page. From the cover I judged it to be a middle grade children's book. And, either way, what age and level of sophistication is needed to read that statement and not internalize it to some degree?

That begs the question, do I want my martial arts epics to be feminist? And the answer of course is, yes I do! I compare this series to the Eragon series (by Christopher Paolini, which we loved). This is also a quintessential boys epic, but there is no hyper-masculine language. There is no putting down a gender just because this is the environment the author was raised with. How are we going to raise feminist sons if they read a bunch of sexist bullsh*t?

So yes, we stopped reading at page 2, because trying to get through a book which is a sexist minefield is not worth it. This one is going in the trash.

[Ursus · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good book. The book was about a monk named fu and his brothers, the crane, the monkey, the snake, and the dragon. So fu the tiger and all his brothers are the last of the monks who are going to survive the furious battle that was going to take place at their home. Their evil brother was coming back to take revenge on their grandmaster, the man who taught them everything. It was a very furious battle but in the end one of them will die. Later on fu and his brothers split up and go their separate ways. In my opinion the book could use some more action and story, it was very short and not so interesting. The book was also very repetitive, and didn't get much done. It would take up about 6 pages talking about one thing, it isn't until the 10 or 11 page that you are finally introduced to his brothers. I more or less understood all the words in the book. It didn't really have any hard or difficult to understand words. The theme of the story, in my opinion, is do what you believe and take the chances that you get, because its better to try to make a difference, then make no difference at all.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining middle grade fantasy novel set in China. Fu (Tiger) and his brothers are orphans named appropriately enough after the Kung Fu styles they are each suited for. They were raised together in a temple, but when their home is destroyed in battle one night, they, the only survivors of the warrior monks of the Secret Temple, are forced to separate in order to survive. This first book of the series follows Fu, the Tiger, the youngest brother, in his adventures after the destruction of the temple. It was a well written story, and I will probably read more of the series.

[Kacy Harsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read for young teens or older elementary.

[Xio Rivera UwU · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hidden in the forest was a temple for monks. A group of brothers learn their own kind of kung-fu which their grandmaster taught them. One day, their brother, Ying, decides to take his army and attack the temple. The brothers are the only ones who survived and escaped. Fu fought back and stole back the dragon scrolls before running away. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of him encountering Ying and his other brothers.

The thing that I really enjoyed about this book was the description. As I read the book, the author included plenty of descriptions of the characters and sometimes with the surroundings. In the text, it says, “ Deep grooves had been chiseled into Ying’s face and filled with dark green pigment. They resembled heavy folds of reptilian skin. Thick furrows stretched from the corner of Ying’s mouth to the top of his jaw and horizontally across his forehead. Intricate scales had also been carved from ear to ear and hairline to chin.” (pg. 30). This piece of the book can easily prove that the author is intent on describing what his characters look like. This is exactly why I like this book because I can easily visualize what everyone looks like and the area around them.

Another reason why I enjoy this book is because of all the action. The author never lets the reader become bored or uninterested in the character’s life - there is always something interesting happening. As an example, “ Fu leaped backward as Ying suddenly whipped around and snapped his wrist outward in a blur” (pg. 54). Just as this sentence shows a fragrance of action, there is plenty of action scenes and fights inside of the book. I’m unable to fall asleep thanks to the entertainment and need to find out what happens next in the book, ‘Tiger’.

I recommend this book to readers who are searching for a fantasy book filled with action. Not only that but it also has lessons behind the story, along with no romance - which is good because some people can’t escape romance much when it comes to books. This is a decent book that will keep readers on their toes at all times, always curious about what will happen next.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Five Ancestors series, detailing the stories of a band of Shaolin monks whose temple was destroyed by their former brother, Ying. They take their names from the Cantonese Chinese language – Fu means tiger, and this is his tale. When Ying destroys the temple and has all of the monks murdered, only Fu and his brothers manage to escape. Fu sticks around and steals the dragon scrolls that Ying is so determined to possess. The other sacred scrolls (that hold the secrets of the different kinds of kung fu) are destroyed by Ying’s troops. It seems that Ying’s only friend was killed in an accident in a task he undertook from the Emperor, and Ying feels that the Grandmaster is responsible for his death, so his mission is to take revenge on the temple. Fu is separated from his brothers as he escapes through the countryside. He gets into some trouble and ends up caged in one of the nearby towns. There, however, he redeems himself and teaches kung fu to many of the village children. He is recaptured by Ying, but then saved by some of his brother monks. At the end they decide that they must discover the truth about their Grandmaster – is he the criminal that Ying believes him to be? The only place they can find these answers is from the monks at Shaolin. And their journey there, presumably, is where the next book will begin.

This was a decent introduction to the series. Unfortunately not much happens in terms of plot development/movement. There’s the big attack on the temple and then a lot of time is spent with Fu just running around and being captured and then escaping over and over again. Grows a bit tiresome. Interesting discussions of kung fu, though. Boys who are interested in martial arts, or like kung fu movies (especially the silly ones, like Shaolin Soccer) could really get into these.

[Aelvana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The year is 1650 AD. A hidden monastery in China that trains warrior monks is under attack. Fu and his four brothers are the youngest masters of their respective animal kung-fu: Tiger, Monkey, Snake, Crane, and Dragon. When their temple is destroyed by a traitor, they are the only ones left alive. Now it is up to them to protect the Dragon scrolls, save their own lives, and somehow redeem the one who has destroyed their home.

Fu, the Tiger, is the focus of this first story, and he makes an endearing lead. Heavyset, grumpy, and instinct-driven, he doesn't exactly come off as a master of his art. He doesn't like thinking too hard or talking too much. But he's willing to take risks to do what he thinks is right, and he's also willing to apologize when he turns out to be in the wrong.

The fighting is lavishly detailed and flows like a movie. It's easy to visualize every action sequence. Equally of interest to me was the fact that the characters show a lot of depth, including a few who are more than they seem. I am particularly intrigued by the Grandmaster's command to the five boys to turn Ying good again, if it's possible, rather than kill him. Killing him would certainly be enough of a challenge, but the Grandmaster isn't interested in turning his students on to the same kind of blood vendetta that's driving Ying.

This is short enough to read in one sitting but intriguing enough that it's a good idea to have the sequels handy, as it will be hard to stop after just one. I rate this book Recommended.

[Hobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books “LIMA LELUHUR 1 - MACAN”
Judul Asli : THE FIVE ANCESTORS 1 - TIGER
Copyright © 2005 by Jeff Stone
Cover Ilustrations copyright © 2005 by Richard Cowdrey
Penerbit Teen@Noura [ Penerbit Noura Books ]
Alih Bahasa : Sujatrini Liza
Editor : Ida Wajdi
Proof-reader & Lay-out : Putri Rosdiana, @kaguralian, Nurhasanah
Desain sampul : Fahmi Ilmansyah
Ilustrasi Isi : Malia Hartati
Cetakan I : September 2013 ; 270 hlm ; ISBN 978-602-9498-28-8
Rate : 3.5 of 5

Kisah ini diawali dengan munculnya serangan terhadap Kuil Cangzhen di Provinsi Henan, China pada 4348 – Tahun Macan (sekitar 1650 M) oleh pasukan Kaisar. Tujuan utama penyerangan adalah untuk merebut pusaka yang disimpan dalam perpustakaan Kuil Cangzhen. Pusaka yang terdiri dari 4 buah dokumen, berisikan pengetahuan untuk mempelajari ilmu tingkat tinggi yang cukup berbahaya. Para penghuni Kuil yang terdiri dari biksu-biksu yang menguasai ilmu bela diri, sebagaimana pengikut Kuil Shaolin, hampir tertumpas, tewas terbunuh dalam pembantaian yang dipimpin oleh Ying – pemuda yang baru berusia 16 tahun namun telah mendapat kepercayaan Kaisar dan memiliki pengetahuan tentang Kuil Cangzhen yang tersembunyi, karena ia merupakan bekas murid Kuil tersebut.

more about this book, just check at here :
( http://my-fantasy-readings.blogspot.c... )

[Anna Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It drew me in quickly. Typically I don't read much about China or the Chinese in general, but this book, and the others in the series, have been the exception. Despite the fact that they are written for children, I think adults will find them enjoyable. They are not difficult to read nor is the plot overly complex, but none of that matters. This book draws you into the struggle these children face after their home is destroyed. There is a bit of a mystery that the children need to solve in order to understand what has happened to them. However, the most compelling aspect of these books is how the children must each search within themselves to find their own inner strength and to understand what love, respect and loyalty really are. It is in watching Fu, the main character of this particular book, grow and reach an understanding of himself and the world around him that you lose yourself in the book.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm aku baca buku pertama seri Five Ancestors ini sudah cukup lama. Jadi kalau kelak baca ulang, reviewnya akan kuupdate ya..

Fu si master ilmu harimau dan ke-4 saudara biksu remajanya menjadi pelarian saat kuil tempat mereka di besarkan di serang utusan Kaisar yang di pimpin salah satu kakak seperguruan mereka yang berkhianat. Storyline kisah ini di luar dugaan tampil beda dibanding buku YA lainnya. Buku ini penuh aura maskulin dengan banyaknya aksi bela diri dan pertarungan-pertarungan ala di film Kungfu.

Yang seru di sini karakter 5 bersaudara ini benar-benar menggambarkan ilmu yang mengadaptasi binatang pilihan mereka. Misalnya Fu si harimau tampil layaknya orang bershio harimau. Ceria, positif, suka bercanda, gampang tersulut dan selalu penuh energi. Perjalanan pelarian Fu membantu biksu muda ini untuk mengenali "harimau" dalam dirinya dan mendewasakannya.

So far buku pertama yang menarik perhatian dan bikin penasaran untuk lanjut ke buku 2, si monyet Malao.

[Daniel Fuertes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Para empezar, hay que avisar que "El valor del Tigre" es simplemente un fragmento de otra novela, ya que este libro termina dejando toda la historia en el aire y sin cerrar absolutamente nada.

El argumento en sí -unos monjes guerreros jóvenes, cuyo templo es arrasado por un antiguo compañero- tiene su atractivo. Incluso diría que es bueno. Pero el resultado es espantoso, un despropósito.

Creo que el culpable del desastre, en un 80-90%, son los diálogos: no hay ni un solo creíble, son todo frases manidas o grandilocuentes, largas explicaciones en medio de momentos de acción, reiteraciones de lo que el autor acaba de narrar en el párrafo anterior, y sobre todo, personajes justificando continuamente sus acciones.

Es una lástima, pero es malísimo. Si tuviera hijos no les dejaría acercarse a semejante bodrío.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book in Stone's series entitled The Five Ancestors. This is the story of five young monks who are masters of various types of kung fu. When their temple is raided by a monk who was once their brother they are left alone. The Grandmaster and their brother monks are dead; the secret scrolls of the temple have been stolen; and the five young masters are unsure what to do next. This appears to be the start of a great series that boys will enjoy very much. It combines action, adventure, mystery, and kung fu. What more could a guy want?

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, captivating. A great young readers action book. My 10 year old son started reading these series and I had to check them out.
I couldn't put them down. Very interesting. Funny, sad, surprising, action packed and mysterious. What more could you ask for? If your kiddos are into kung fu they will like these.

[LeeAnn · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sons love these books! They would certainly give them 5 stars. Each book retells the story from each character's perspective. In that respect, these are character studies. Each book also reveals one more piece so it isn't just regurgitating the previous books.

Definite thumbs up for boys!

[Ravencrantz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just because a book is for children doesn't mean you have to talk down to and explain everything to the reader. Just in the first 30 pages the imagery was do over the top and childish I can't continue. Also two "jokes" calling boys girls because they're being weak! There's nothing wrong with being a girl! Will not be continuing this series.

[Jannely Barajas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Five Ancestors
It is fantasy-based book about a couple of young monks with special animal like abilities and qualities who train in a hidden place and basically just live there. They train with their grandmaster who also teaches other monks who lie there as well. One day they were taken to a temple and the five young monks were hidden in a barrel. They trained to accustom themselves to that type of situation, Fu the oldest of the group had been stuck at the bottom of the barrel and started to drown because of one of his brother’s feet was pressed against his face. The barrel then exploded with them inside and they realized that the temple surrounding them was on fire. The person setting the temple on fire was their old brother named Ying. They managed to escape the temple after some obstacles trying to stop them and they soon separated into the wild. Fu the oldest decided to go back, there he fought with people and ended up finding out why they were burning the temple. He then escaped the burning temple once again and went out into the wild and villages finding trouble wherever he went.
I personally enjoyed the book it was interesting and it was a book to start right away in the action. I enjoyed when Fu got into an argument with some villagers over the well being of a tiger and it’s cub (Chapter 8). I would recommend this book to those who enjoy reading action/ fantasy books. I don’t really enjoy reading action books, but this book was a fun and new concept for me. So if you like action and fantasy this book might be just perfect for you.
Another reason why this book is good is that there are many plot twists. Like when Ying turned out to be the young monks older brother and killed grandmaster (Chapter 6). It’s a thrill ride as well not really knowing what to expect. I would say the only reason why i didn’t really enjoy the book is because I am not into these types of books. I find it to be confusing when they bring in a new topic and don’t discuss about it or anything. In Chapter 7 I believe Ying had killed grandmaster and decapitated his head. Later on in the chapter Ying’s soldiers could not find the body of the dead grandmaster and believed it was walking around. They shook this off and did not talk much about it.
My Final reason why this book is good is that, being fantasy/action based it captures many people's attention. For young adults who are interested in reading these types of books and like a little thrill as well in there. It has many details and a new thing happening every chapter whether they are fights, someone almost dying, etc. It truly has many parts to this and keeps you entertained and captivated. As well as there being sequels to this book on the other young monks who escaped. That keeps you reading on a series and entertained.
In conclusion I would recommend this book. Once again if you really like action/fantasy this is the book for you! It’s interesting and entertaining but it just wasn't my type of book. Also, these books are quite short they are about only 100-170 pages, not that long compared to other books. So yes I do recommend this book to those who are interested or willing to read it. Enjoy the book...

[Uncle Sarah Rodriguez Del Cracko Carey Jackson Filipe Grande · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the reasons why I kind of liked the book was that I was never too bored while reading it. It does a great job at using descriptive words that form images in your head. The entire time I was reading, a movie was playing in my head. The details used in each scene make the story incredibly more interesting and enjoyable. A good example of this could really be any fighting part. Chapter 28 is an excellent way of showing the factors of this because it’s all about how monkeys rain down from the sky and aid one of the monks in fighting off Ying’s soldiers Since the author himself practices kung fu, these parts feel much more real and spectacular. In short, one of the things this book does right is imagery and features included with every page.

In addition, the author gave each and every characters with load of personality. Every quote in the book can give you a clear indication of one of their nature. Fu, our main character can easily be seen as a rash, energetic character from just his first few words. On pg. 4, Fu says “. . . I don’t care who’s out there. We’re all masters now. We’ve all passed the tests. We shouldn’t be hiding like a bunch of girls. We should be-” this line shows how he wants to remain in action all the time or finds it difficult to stay behind the scenes. This isn’t the only quote that shows this obviously, but for real, every character feels like a real person which I think adds so much to a story. Overall, the book is pretty dang great at making the plot more intriguing by having characters that feel like actual people.

On the other hand, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the book as a whole. This isn’t necessarily the book’s fault however, just simply my preference. Although I may prefer fantasy, this type of that genre isn’t really my cup of tea. I much more prefer the use of magic or powers in stories to make the book feel like an escape from reality. However, this book portrays the characters fighting as actual usual fighting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still impressive and I actually thought the characters had animal powers, but it’s just not enough for me to stay invested. This is also a pretty bad nitpick, but again this is just my opinion, there weren’t any female characters. This isn’t necessarily a problem because the book can still appeal to everyone, but I’d be more interested in books with some girlies. That last issue I had was super small but I just find female characters more easy to relate to. In the long run, the book is perfectly fine but my own taste prevents me from really liking it.

As can be seen, Tiger is an action packed story that does a phenomenal job with imagery and character. My gripes about it are my personal views and not actual problems with the story. I’d say the best demographic to recommend this story to would probably not be anyone in highschool as it’s not too complicated to understand, but it’s still a well-written tale.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fu - Tiger... one of 7 orphans raised in a secret Shaolin temple...

1 orphan died a year earlier, at the Emperor's court... 1 orphan - Ying- (who believes himself wronged by the Shaolins, blames them for the death of the other orphan, who wants to know of his past, who believes himself to have a dragon soul (and is mutilating himself to look dragonish), and who is aligned with the new emperor...) has led a group of the emperor's soldiers to the Shaolin temple, and murdered all of the priests...

the Ancient One - who oversaw the boys the most, hid them in a barrel... they survived, and escaped. Fu is strong, and headstrong... he wants to fight... and he wants the dragon scrolls that Ying is after (they go back and forth between them)...

after the boys escape, and go different ways... Fu's path takes him to some villagers who are torturing a female tiger, and her cub. He tells them to stop... they don't, and kill her... he looses his temple, and uses his kung fu to knock out two adults... when the village leader (actually the governor) moves to stop Fu, Fu turns to attack, and the leader's son tries to defend his father, and Fu kicks him in side of head, causing deafness in one ear. the father/governor/tiger killer, with authority, commands Fu leave, so he can care for his son.
the tiger cub escapes and runs away.

Fu and the tiger cub bond... even a blood exchange of sorts (cub licks the cut on Fu's cheek, and cub has a cut on his tongue)...

Fu realizes he was wrong in losing his temper, and especially hurting the boy... and decides to track down the village and apologize.. he is taken prisoner, and placed in cage in town square... he does make his apologies... the governor sends a message to Ying that he has the monk and the scrolls... but as the day and night proceed, and Fu and the governor's son's guard talk, and Fu offers to teach defensive techniques (teaching a different one to any interested - so ultimately, all could share knowledge), the tide turns, and the village (including the governor) wants to protect Fu...

when Ying's man comes, Fu had tricked/escaped... but stayed near by - when the village is threatened for letting Fu leave, he comes out and turns himself in...

story ends with reunion with 2 of the other orphans... the scrolls back to Ying... Fu's determination to recover the scrolls (even though companions say leave them)... and the tiger cub coming to help him...

continued in next book...

[Gabriel Byrd]

Fu and his five brothers got split apart. Fu is on a journey to kill the Emporer, he wants to bring justice to his people and Grandmaster because the Emporer sent people to kill them and their people. Fu meets a lot of people during this journey he taught the kicks and etc.
I really didn’t like this book because of the lack of action. I was told that this story was going to be full of fighting and action, This book was boring in my opinion because of how the book had a great structure but the book wasn’t interesting. I felt like I could predict what was going to happen. Only about two parts of the book I felt like it was interesting funny and very good. The first part was when the eldest brother came back to kill the Grandmaster in front of his younger brothers. The second part was when Fu met Ma I felt like this part was funny because of how Fu is trying to teach Ma one kick but he is complaining about how long it takes to master it.
Another reason why the book was not very appealing to me was the storyline behind it all. It didn’t make much sense to me like why would you want to kill the person who raised you in the first place. Ying was being doubted by the grandmaster but it just doesn’t make sense why that would drive you to want to kill him. I don’t understand why the brothers didn’t help Grandmaster even though they were ordered to run it just doesn’t make much sense to me. I was looking for the Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles vibe or like the Three Ninjas vibe and I wasn’t too happy about it. I thought the book going to be like the movies. Neman told me that this book was action-packed and it really wasn’t to my liking
I think the book was over-hyped. I like fantasy books but like about powers of weird things. I feel like this is like a child’s book it wasn’t that gruesome most kung-fu fantasy books are supposed to be filled with the more action and it is supposed to grab the readers attention
This book can be very interesting when it gets to the need but the beginning of the book isn’t very attention-grabbing. I feel like the author wanted to grab the attention of little kids. I just want this book to be filled with more action. This book just wasn’t for me.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot better than I was expecting. I picked it up from the Little Free Lending Library, thinking I'd quickly read it and put it back. But now I'm kind of hooked on the series and really want to find the second book.
The writing was simple, but still engaging. I can see it being a good read for young readers. There is a lot going on in this novel. I loved all of the story arcs. The descriptions are also well-done. You can really picture what is happening.
The story itself was very fast-paced. I loved finding out more about the characters. I read it pretty quickly because I was so taken in by the writing and the plot.
There were only two things that were not quite to my liking. One was the serious lack of female characters. I get it, I totally get it. But I feel like Stone set the story up in a way that was not inclusive for female characters. Not only that, but "femininity" is often seen as degrading and bad. Fu is furious when they have to hide "like a bunch of girls." Ying changes the title of "Brother" to "Sister" to further shame Fu. I understand where it was coming from, but I was disappointed with the mindset. Granted, there are some good things that happen to females (children in the village), but overall the presentation of girls and women was problematic.
Secondly, this book is pretty violent. It is not done poorly. The descriptions aren't gory. But it is something to be aware of for young readers. There are a lot of fight scenes with blood and such. In general, the mindset is to only use violence when it is absolutely necessary, but there is quite a bit in here. Again, it's not overly gross or anything, but it is something to keep in mind.
Overall, a fantastic book. I really look forward to reading the next one in the series.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Five Ancestors is an adventure series that focuses on the young disciples of different fighting styles inspired by influential animals of Chinese culture. The first in the series, Tiger, begins with what many young readers would believe fighting should encompass: strength. However, the story takes Fu, the main character, on a journey to instead temper his strength. Although this series is meant for younger readers, Tiger is a philosophical journey in control and where and when it is just to use strength. The rest of the books in the series do something similar, but with different themes. Tiger as a story does not only entertain, but also focuses on teaching non-western ideologies in an interesting and action-packed way. The Chinese culture depicted in the settings of the story is rather simple and vague, but as a non-Chinese writer I can understand why Jeff Stone would write this way, there is only so much a person can write about through research alone. So while the culture and environment depicted is not wrong, it does nothing to truly explain or represent Chinese culture. I believe Jeff Stones objective was to focus more on the narrative anyway, so I do not believe the vague nature of the environment is a bad thing.

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fu adalah biksu pendekar Changzen dgn macan style. Dan saat kuilnya diserang oleh Ying, murid Mahaguru yg murtad, Fu bertekad mati-matian membela Mahaguru. Tetapi Ying terlalu kuat. Kelima murid utama terpaksa kabur dan kocar-kacir.

Fu sendiri malah akhirnya terjebak saat menolong anak macan dan nyaris dihabisi oleh gubernur krn Fu dianggap pemberontak kerajaan. Untung ada Malao, adiknya yg memiliki monkey style, dgn pasukan monyet-nya berhasil menolong Fu.

Saya suka novel YA ini. Ada nilai-nilai yg saya suka seperti kesetiaan, keuletan dan kegigihan. Juga ada lucunya spt interaksi Malao dgn Fu, spt layaknya adik kakak. Juga seru banget petualangan mereka melawan antek-antek Ying dan juga Ying sendiri. Tidak mengecewakan novel ini.

[Alejandro]

Although I read the whole book I disliked it for many reasons. Some reasons why I didn't like it was due to the storyline. What I mean by this is that the story, in my opinion, was not that good, it's about this main character named Fu and his brothers and how they have spirit animals which Fu being a tiger and his brothers having one too. And sometimes in the book, it was good due to the action but that's about it when there wasn't action happening I didn't like it as much. In my opinion it was lacking lots of things that I would put in to make it a better book but again that's just me. Others may say it's a book done well. And some people may agree with me. But overall the book wasn’t that amusing to me and I thought the book could have been better.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five young kung fu masters are hidden away by their teacher when their temple is overrun and its one hundred fighting monks slaughtered. They must stop the one who planned this massacre, someone who they considered a brother, one of their Grandmaster's former pupils. This book takes place from the point of view of Fu, whose name means tiger and who uses tiger-style fighting.

Strong personalities. Ancient wisdom. Bonds of brotherhood. Exciting action sequences. This is a series I didn't realize I needed so much. Immediately ordered books to fill in the gaps on my shelf so I can read the rest of this tale. Insta-favorite.