Gemma Files sets home and family against and within the mythic in her collection Invocabulary. The poems in this collection pull from a wide range of western mythologies, folktales, and later works, ranging from biblical figures and those from Greek and Nordic myths to Little Red Riding Hood and Golems which appear alongside poems that reference Lovecraft and Sweeney Todd. The variety makes for a deeper view into the themes of horror in the book, and it also makes the poignant moments more affecting. Among the strongest poems in the book are those that take a more contemporary voice, such as "The Black Telephone," "Onion Boy," and the wonderful "Build Your Own." For readers of speculative poetry or poetry that explores the relation of myth to how we see our present world, this is a worthwhile read. ( )