Yeah FE8 isn't good to start with.
Not a bad game, but just isn't really a good representation of the series. Too many divisive gameplay elements that either you might just not like and give you a bad impression, or you might REALLY like and be disappointed they're not in any other game. It could go either way, really, but it's generally just too divisive of a game to recommend as the first in general.
--
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/2664/7b7aaa038007832d461b28c.jpg