Awakening was my first and will always hold a special place in my heart because of that (even with its many flaws and lackluster story). That said, having played other FE games (3H, PoR, Shadow Dragon, New Mystery, Fates: BR and RV, SoV, Blazing Blade) since then, I can say that my favorite is currently tied between Path of Radiance and Blazing Blade. They both have excellent narratives, great, memorable characters, and the same rewarding pre-Awakening classic FE gameplay that I can really appreciate (even if I still die somewhat frequently on easy).