Dark Mirror by M J Putney 312 pages

This is a bit of a hybrid: a historical-romance-fantasy. Lady Victoria Mansfield, now isn't that a name out of a "regency romance", goes by the preferred name of Tory. Her predictable future takes a dramatic detour at what could have been a family tragedy. She discovers magical powers when her nephew is threatened with imminent death and she finds an unknown power to save him. Unfortunately, magic is banned from her country and she is exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for those afflicted with magic. There she finds different factions, an underground group that embrace magic and an opposing group that seek to reject their skill and return home as soon as possible. She finds herself drawn to the young Marquis of Allarde, a handsome, brooding wealthy heir. Their group channel their powers to alter weather and save Britain from destruction. High adventure and gutsy characters make this an entertaining first novel for Putney.