Ok, ok, so I know this thread is from April, but I mean, it's not that down in the topic list and, besides, I thought the author would like some kind of answer. Please, mods, tell me if I'm doing something wrong, I'm just new here.
Well... on to the topic: I played Path of Radiance a while ago, I've loved Fire Emblem games ever since they arrived to Europe (I'm European - quite a disadvantage there, beause usually games arrive there later). I really liked PoR because it had nice characters and a nice storyline - with all the beorc and laguz resentment and so. I especially liked characters such as Soren - I usually like mage characters in FE, and he is probably the best I know, maybe even better than Nino (from a GBA FE game), Mist or Ike. The strategy is okay for me, but I found the last chapter to be pretty easy.
About Radiant Dawn... I've played that one, too... and I really liked it. Seeing things from the defeated Daein peasants' point of view is... enlightening, at the very least. Besides, minor characters (but interesting ones) in PoR, such as Sephiram or the Black Knight, are further developed here. I can't explain much without spoiling... but the possibility of having a third class is really good. There are some downs, however: some chapters cab be more than difficult in Hard mode... and, oh, well, you are going to use more or less the same characters all the time. Such as Nephenee, Jill or Haar. And I love being able to transfer data fom PoR. My Soren is now an utterly powerful Archmage that I had to stop using because he overleveled the other characters like... 10 levels or so? But it's a great game overall.