Rather than import saves directly from previous games, BioWare have opted to allow you to configure a world state via an online application. This is particularly true if you're just getting to grips with Dragon Age Keep. I've been playing it too, and even with a thorough knowledge of the previous games - and having read all of the novels and comics - it takes a little work to hold Thedas' complicated history in your head all at once.
As Phil notes in his review, Dragon Age: Inquisition's massive scope is matched by the complicated and sometimes overwhelming ways in that it interacts with pre-existing Dragon Age canon.
