I think it's a novel treating a very unique theme and life period in the history of Kerala. When two European powers fought with each other for supremacy over a port in Kerala to do business and enormous profit from it. As always it's the normal people who are losers in the events dictated by the powerful ones in society.
The author is able to portray the story and guiding force for a generation who was living by working very close to the royal family and the powerful ones yet so far from both whom they served and the rest of the local people living there.
I think Ponjikkara Rafi's books are not appreciated at the level it deserves, maybe because he never bothered to self market himself like many others.